The Past: Revisited
by ravenskyeblackhawk
Summary: Sequel to Out Of The Past.  A new life for Kagome, literally.  Will she find her lost love and finally put her painful past to rest?
1. Prologue

The Past: Revisited

Written by Raven Skye Blackhawk

Prologue

'_What a long, lovely day,' Niobe thought happily. She stretched out luxuriously in the deliciously fragrant and steaming bath water. _

_With a wave of her hand she dismissed her handmaidens and lay back against the side of her large sunken marble bathtub. After soaking for several minutes more, she rose from the warm water, got out and dried herself._

_Donning her flimsy linen robe, Niobe exited the bathing chamber and returned to her adjoining bed chamber. A cool breeze filled the room with the scent of roses, jasmine, Lily of the Valley and lilac, which grew in abundance in the gardens just outside her windows and balcony. She executed a happy little twirl and went to her door, locking it. There. No one would be able to get in and disturb her._

_She smiled and lay down on her soft, downy bed. Her eyes soon began to flutter close in a weak attempt to fight off sleep. But she did not want to sleep. Not yet. The night was too lovely to waste sleeping…_

_Then it came, the loud banging on her chamber door that she had been expecting. She came fully awake and sat up, listening. As she did, she began to laugh silently. Oh dear, how dreadfully unhappy he sounded; how wretched were the tone of his cries._

_Soon— and as she knew he would— his pitiful cries became angry shouts, demanding and persistent. Open this door, he roared. How dare she shut her door to him!_

_But still, Niobe said nothing. She blew out her only source of light— a candle beside her bed. Then she lay back down, on her side this time, and gazed dreamily out through her balcony doors, which were open save for the white filmy curtains that flew wildly in the strengthening breeze._

_The banging ceased; the yelling ceased. All was quiet. _

_Niobe sighed._

_The storm was not over yet._

_As she continued to stare out through the open doors of her balcony, a tall figure of a man appeared. His shadow was cast onto the floor of her room, which was awash in strong, milky moonlight. She then shut her eyes and pretended to sleep._

"_I know you are only pretending to be asleep," said the male intruder roughly. "Get up. Get up and face me. Confess what you have done."_

_She could sense him moving over to the bed and a moment later, she heard him light the candle she had just blown out. Perhaps if she continued to lay here motionless he would go away—_

_But he did not go away. Instead, he grabbed her thighs and wrenched them apart. Her eyes flew open at his rough treatment and she gave a little whimpering cry. With a growl, he pinned her down by the throat with his left hand and with his right, shoved two fingers inside her._

_The cruel hand at her throat instantly released her and he backed away, his dark eyes filling with tears._

"_So it's true," he whispered in a trembling voice._

_Niobe sat up and laughed. It was a harsh, mirthless sound._

"_Undoubtedly. The evidence seems to suggest that, doesn't it?" she replied blithely, standing up. She shoved him away from her and went to her dressing table where she lit more candles. "Do you have a problem with that, brother?" she asked as she sat down and picked up her brush, all the while staring at his reflection in her looking glass._

_Thanos appeared to be utterly dumbstruck. He swayed gently on his feet, his eyes staring back at her with shock. "But— but he's—"_

_She laughed again. "But he's—? He's what? Our half-brother? Because his mother is only a nymph?" Niobe clicked her tongue reproachfully. "Really, Thanos, you're such a snob. He's as much a god as we are; both he and his brother Hector. But Leander is so very well endowed and believe me, he knows how to please a woman."_

"_How could you?" Thanos knelt beside her, his gaze never leaving her reflection in the mirror in front of her. "You know how I feel about you, Niobe. Damn it, how could you do this to me?"_

"_How could I do this to you?" She chuckled. "Silly boy, whoever said this was about you? Oh, really Thanos, do you honestly believe I care about your pitiful little feelings?"_

_Hurt by her harsh words, Thanos could only stare helplessly at her. Impatiently, Niobe set the brush down and turned to look at him. _

"_What you think does not matter to me anymore. I am living my life as I please, Thanos. Is that not what you have done?"_

"_Yes, but—"_

_She waved a hand. "Alright then, stop your grumbling. Just like you, I have decided to indulge in pleasure whenever and wherever I find it. It just so happened that tonight I found it when having a sparring match with Leander." Niobe smiled then, a misty-eyed and secretive smile which told Thanos she was remembering the encounter fondly. "He is so tall, so beautiful and I just adore his green eyes. How easily they can hypnotize one!" _

_Turning back to her dressing table, she picked up a small jar of cream and opened it. With a slim finger, she took a swipe out of the cream and shut the jar before rubbing her hands together, massaging the creamy lotion into her skin. _

"_You know he's been after me for some time now," she went on, purposely ignoring her twin's twisted, furious face. "During the bout, I noticed he kept staring at my bosom. Well, I couldn't stand it anymore and so I looked down— and wouldn't you know? The sleeve of my tunic had torn and my left breast was exposed. But I had been so into the match that I had not even noticed." She gave Thanos an innocent smile. "Well, he reached over to pull what remained of the cloth up to cover me when he suddenly moaned and grabbed the fabric, tearing my clothes off."_

"_You __**could**__ have told him to stop," remarked Thanos coldly._

_Niobe appeared to think this over. "True, but when I saw that he had an erection I thought, why let that go to waste? So I pulled him toward me and when we hit the floor, he slid inside me and—" She stopped and grinned broadly. "Oh my stars, I thought the earth was shaking! It was the most wonderful, amazing experience! All the gossip about his sexual prowess is not an exaggeration. In fact, it has been seriously understated."_

_She turned back to look at her twin and she suppressed a delighted shiver. Thanos was glaring at her with fierce black eyes. The heat from his rage was nearly tangible. Niobe was unable to stop herself from savoring the delicious tonic that was his wrath._

"_Oh, I'm sorry. Have I said something that offended you?" she asked him sweetly._

"_You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Thanos rose slowly until he towered menacingly over her._

"_What do you mean?" _

_Her brother's chest began to heave with exertion. Niobe could see how deeply he was affected and she delighted in it._

"_You know damn well what I mean, Niobe. This behavior of yours— I don't like it. You know exactly how it makes me feel when you tell me these things. I cannot bear knowing that another man has touched you."_

_She pouted prettily. "Aw, I'm sorry, brother. But I am even sorrier that you apparently can't handle the fact that I won't give myself to you, even though you desperately want me to." With narrowed eyes, Niobe lowered her voice to a husky whisper. "Even at this moment, when you know I have just been with another man and a moment ago when you felt his seed still inside me… You burn for want of me, do you not?"_

_Sweat broke out all over Thanos' forehead and he passed a shaking hand over it to wipe it away. He was very pale. "Stop it! Oh, Niobe my dearest, my darling! By the gods, I'm in love with you!" he cried. "I desire you above all else. Surely that counts for something!"_

"_I've already told you I care nothing for your feelings," she replied shortly with a haughty toss of her head. "Desire me all you want, Thanos. But there is nothing you can say or do which will make me want you. Understood?"_

_He did not reply and Niobe returned to the task of brushing her hair. When she was done she got up and returned to her bed, removed her robe and lay down. "Now please go. I am tired and wish to sleep. Leander worked me until I became exhausted." She laughed. "And I am not talking about the sparring match."_

_A strong breeze blew into the room, extinguishing all the candles. As soon as the lights were blown out, Niobe felt a large, warm body on top of her. Large, powerful hands were gripping her, grabbing at her limbs._

"_Thanos!" she cried. "Stop it!"_

_But he did not comply and instead yanked her legs apart. With a startled yell, she slapped Thanos hard across the face. _

_He returned the favor by punching her on the jaw. _

_Stunned, Niobe lay limply on the bed beneath him as he began moving roughly inside her. To add to her distress, Thanos began to strangle her with his large hands. _

_Panicked, she clutched at his hands, her body bucking under him in an attempt to free herself. But he did not relent and stars began to dance before her eyes._

"_How do you like this?" he hissed into her ear. "Am I making the earth tremble for you too?"_

_Despite her situation, Niobe smiled broadly in the dark. With a laugh, she let go of his hands and slid her hands around his back, where she dragged her nails down his skin. He gave a hiss of pleasure and bent down, biting her hard on the shoulder. _

"_You dirty bastard," she moaned ecstatically. "Gods above, I love the way you fuck me!"_

_He bit her again, this time drawing blood. "I hate watching you with other men," he panted against her sweat and blood-covered skin. "It drives me insane."_

_She raised her head and bit his shoulder this time, sinking her teeth into his muscular flesh. "I love how jealous you get. It turns me on." As he pulled away from her, she backhanded him across the face._

_Thanos delivered another punch to her face and flipped her deftly onto her belly, sliding his arm under her throat and pulled back. Niobe gasped for breath._

"_When are you going to marry me?" he growled in her ear. _

"_N… never…"_

"_You fucking little bitch." He tightened his hold until she squeaked in pain. "I will ask you again. When are you going to marry me?"_

"_No, Thanos…"_

"_You can't keep putting me through this storm of emotion every time you want me to have sex with you! It's not fair to me."_

"_But I like forceful sex," she panted. "And it's the only way you to rile you up to such a state so you'll treat me roughly. Sometimes I think you're going to kill me and I love it! Besides, I love making you jealous and feel as though you're going to lose me. It amuses me." _

"_Fuck you," he snarled, releasing her and getting off the bed. _

_Niobe laughed and rolled onto her back. Her bitten shoulder and bruised throat hurt like blazes but it was an incredibly erotic sensation. "Yes, you did fuck me. Admit it, you love it too." She glanced down at his crotch and smirked. "I see someone is still excited."_

"_You're hurting me, Niobe." His voice shook with emotion. "I'm warning you. Stop it. There is only so much I can bear."_

"_Oh, so melodramatic! Don't worry, my darling, you'll live. Now come," she said, opening her arms to him. She pouted her lips. "I want more. Give me what I deserve." _

_Thanos stood before her, watching her with uncertainty. "Not until I have your promise that you will stop sleeping with these other men and become mine alone."_

"_But Thanos…"_

"_Don't 'but Thanos' me, Niobe. I mean it."_

_Annoyance filled Niobe's face and she sat up with an impatient sigh. "Oh, forget it. Hand me my robe."_

"_Where are you going?" he asked her suspiciously. _

"_What does that matter?"_

_He grabbed her arm and shook her. "Because it does. Where are you going?"_

_She glared up at him. "Fine! To find Leander, that's where! He isn't one to ask questions when pussy is being offered up to him."_

_Niobe nearly laughed out loud when her brother shoved her back down onto the bed and thrust himself hard into her. He was so easy to manipulate, she thought gleefully, wincing slightly as he began to get really rough with her. _

_To play along with this simulated rape, Niobe fought wildly, scratching and hitting him as hard as she could. And when it was over, he fell on top of her, exhausted and spent. The two of them were dripping with perspiration and blood; their bodies were covered with scratches, bite marks and bruises._

_She pulled away slightly so she could watch her twin sleep. He was so beautiful, even as injured as he was. Sometimes, when she would relive their violent lovemaking sessions, she would feel a little guilty. True, this whole mess was his fault to begin with, but she felt that things were beginning to get a little out of hand. She knew that she would have to face facts: in her brother, she had created a monster. And soon she wouldn't be able to control him as easily as she could now._

_The arm that was draped over her waist twitched slightly when she slid out from under it. She sat up and groaned softly. Heavens, she was sore! _

"_Where are you going?"_

_Startled, Niobe jumped at the gruff sound of his voice, which did not sound the least bit sleepy. It made her wonder if he had been asleep at all and was just waiting until she tried to get out of bed to find out where she was going._

"_Nowhere. I just wanted to sit up for a bit, that's all." She got up and stretched. Her bruised body protested and she laughed nervously. "I think you got a bit too rough this time, Thanos."_

_Thanos was now laying on his side, with his head propped up on his hand. He watched her intently. "Why are you complaining? You said yourself you liked when I got rough with you." He paused, his eyes dark and heavy-lidded. "Come back to bed."_

_This time it was she who eyed him intently. "Why? You're not planning to have sex with me again, are you? After all, two men in one night—"_

_It did not take long for Niobe to find herself flat on her back on her bed while her furious brother pinned her down bodily. _

"_Thanos, don't. Please."_

"_Why? Why must you keep reminding me of your extracurricular activities? Have you not hurt me enough for one night?"_

"_Thanos, wait—"_

_But he did not listen to her. "I am also tired of you trying to manipulate me, Niobe. You've exacted your revenge on me for what I did to you and I have apologized for it many times already. But this little control game of yours is going to end. What's more, you are going to give up your other lovers and marry me, as you should have done a long time ago. Is that understood?"_

_She struggled against him, but met with no success. "And if I don't? What then? What will you do to me, big man?" she bit out angrily._

_He narrowed his eyes as he slid one of his hands beneath the pillows. "Ah, a challenge. Then let me show you. After all, you do find that inflicting pain is amusing—" _

**Chapter 1**

Dreams are funny things. But sometimes they're not the least bit amusing.

Another restless night and another brutal awakening sent Kagome shooting straight out of sleep and bolt upright in bed. She brought a hand to her mouth and covered it, hoping somehow that it would stifle the scream of agony about to burst from her lips.

It did not.

The scream tore from her lips and she clutched at her chest.

The slumbering figure beside her woke instantly but she turned to him in order to soothe him, telling him that she was alright; it was only a bad dream. With a shaking hand, she reached out to find the bedside table and groped blindly for the lamp.

"But that's what worries me. You seem to be having a lot of bad dreams lately, baby," remarked her silver-haired hanyou husband gently. He reached across her body when she was unable to find the light switch and turned it on for her. "I don't like it. You're fragile enough as it is."

But Kagome knew that he was worried about her. He had been, ever since—

"Stress," she said quickly, by way of explanation. "You know how it is. It does strange things to the human body."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement but his eyes continued to study her. "What do you need me to do for you?" he asked suddenly. He slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. "Whatever it is, you only have to ask."

Kagome felt her eyes blur. "I know. Thank you," she whispered, willing herself not to cry. Inuyasha was so tender now, so infinitely loving to her that it had been easy to forgive him all his past transgressions. Long ago, she wished he had never come back into her life and now, he behaved exactly as she wished he had all those years ago.

When Inuyasha had asked her to be his mate for life, she had agreed. Not as quickly as he would have liked— _it had taken her twelve years to say yes_— but she had agreed just the same. In his heart he knew that she still was very much in love with Kouga, and Inuyasha knew full well that she would never be able to forget that irrepressible wolf youkai. But after all that had happened between them, Inuyasha was content to be able to have her back in his life and he was incredibly grateful to have her as his wife. The Greek god in him, however, felt that this was long overdue. Hermes had waited so very long to have her. He would have much preferred to have spent eternity as the immortals they had been, rather than the mortals they were now. But still— she was his now and he was content with that.

"I'm fine," she said, in an attempt to be reassuring. But she felt that Inuyasha was far from reassured. His eyes never once left her face and she could hear him take surreptitious sniffs near her head, and she knew he was checking to see if she was lying to him.

"I love you," he said at last and pulled her back down on the bed with him. "All I want is to see you happy and healthy and safe. You mean the world to me and I would do anything for you."

This time Kagome _did_ cry, but she did so silently. "I know," she said, her voice muffled against her hand. "I know and I am so thankful that I have you, Inuyasha. Your concern for me means a lot."

Hearing her words, Inuyasha could not keep the smile from his face. He loved it when she told him things like that. It made him feel as though his heart would burst from his chest, so full of joy was it. He stroked her hair tenderly. "So if you're hiding something from me, please don't. Whatever it is, good or bad, we can handle it together. I'm your husband, Kagome. All your joys are my joys and all your sorrows, my sorrows."

Hearing him speak so tenderly to her this way, Kagome turned over towards him and hid her face against his bare chest. There was so much to tell him, but she did not dare. It would all be too much, even for him, as strong a man as he was. But even so, she was barely holding herself together under the strain of the terrible secrets she was keeping from her husband of only a year.

"I love you too, Inuyasha," she said at last when she was able to catch her breath. "But I'm fine, really. Just very tired and feeling very emotional. You have no idea how exhausted I am."

"Alright, sweetheart, I will ask you again tomorrow."

"But—"

He chuckled wryly. "What? Did you actually think you were fooling me? Silly goose, how long have we known each other? I know when you're keeping things from me. Ah well, I won't press you anymore— for now. Good night, my love." He smiled, yawned and soon drifted back to sleep.

But Kagome did not fall asleep. She could not. Instead, she turned over on her side, facing away from Inuyasha in case he was watching her and her mind returned to the horrible dream she'd just woken up from.

A dream? No. Oh no, she thought sickly. Not a dream. What she'd just seen was a memory from her life as Niobe, the daughter of Ares and Athena. It had been a memory recalling the night when Niobe, who had been so confident of her ability to keep her love-stricken brother under her thumb, lost that control. That night, she thought with a shudder, Thanos had proven his dominance over her in the most brutal way.

Again she clutched at her thin chest and quickly pulled her hands away. No blood. Of course there was no blood. It was only a dream, for pity's sake. But dear gods, that dream had been far too real!

No, she reminded herself again. It was not a dream; _it was a memory_. And in that memory, Kagome recalled everything with crystal clarity.

After he had slid his hand beneath the pillows, Thanos had withdrawn a dagger. How it had gotten there she never knew, but she felt that he must have placed it there after she had fallen asleep soon after their lovemaking.

With eyes completely devoid of emotion, he had proceeded to stab her numerous times until she could no longer move. Blood had been everywhere—a scarlet nightmare—and her mattress and clothing had been completely saturated with it.

"_You no longer have power over me,"_ he had said to her, in a voice that chilled her to her very soul. _"On the contrary, I shall be the one to control you. You have hurt me too many times with your cruelty, Niobe. I have apologized over and over again for what I've done to you, and yet you continue to torment me. I couldn't take your punishment anymore."_

She had said nothing in response and he continued.

"_Now here's the plan, my love. You will marry me and we shall be happy." _He stared down at her with bright, feverish eyes and she knew that the brother that she had known and loved was no more._ "But if you are faithless, even once, I will find out the identity of your lover." _He leaned down so close that the tip of his nose touched hers. _"And then I will kill him."_

"_There's… there's no one…"_ she managed thickly before coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"_You liar. What of Leander?"_

Niobe moaned softly. She was in agony. _"It was a onetime thing. It won't happen again, I swear."_

A sick, satisfied smile crossed his lips. _"How do you feel? You don't like this much, do you, Niobe? This feeling of helplessness and pain so deep you can't stand it? It takes some getting used to. I should know."_ The smile vanished and he plunged the dagger into her chest again and twisted it. The pain was agonizing. Niobe screamed and after Thanos removed the knife from her chest, he flung it out through the open balcony doors and out into the night. Thanos remained where he was, his thighs straddling her waist as he stared down at her sobbing and scarlet-stained face.

"_I want you to remember every wound I inflicted on you, because every time you fucked another man, that was how I felt. It was as if you had taken the sharpest dagger you could find and stabbed me in the heart with it over and over again." _Thanos lay down beside her and gathered her in his arms. _"But I shall be kinder to you than you have been to me. All you need to do is submit to me and then I would not have a reason to hurt you."_

She did not believe him. Not then, not ever. The look in his eyes on the long ago night was enough to convince her that he was mad. But the worst of it, this frame of mind he was in— it had all been _her_ doing. She had indeed inflicted emotional wounds upon him and driven him to madness by making him jealous by flaunting her numerous love affairs right in his face. And for what? A cheap thrill, simply for the pleasure of angering him into beating her and screwing her senseless. She had used him shamelessly in order to exact her revenge and hurt him the way he had hurt her.

Kagome sat up, leaned back against the headboard and pressed a quivering hand to her face. With the other hand she grasped the Shikon no Tama, which hung about her neck. _He_ was still there, sleeping peacefully within the jewel's depths. While he slumbered, she had been able to tap into his mind which enabled her to complete the puzzle of her broken past. The monster she had created had in turn wreaked havoc, not only in ancient Greece, but in a different millennium— on a different continent— upon an unsuspecting people.

Naraku had begun his murderous rampage in Japan— _because of her_. Thanos had followed her there, where she became the high priestess Midoriko. Being reborn as the human thief Onigumo had not deterred Thanos from his mission. Since Inuyasha— _whose body contained the immortal soul of the god Hermes_— had been able to detect the presence of her soul in the Shikon no Tama, then obviously so could Onigumo. When he was in agony from his burns in that cold lonely cave, he found himself in the care of a young miko, from whose neck hung a lovely and delicate jewel. Like Inuyasha, Onigumo's ancient soul knew instinctively that the one he had pursued relentlessly resided within that jewel.

Tears slid down Kagome's face. She felt sorrow for Kikyo. Kikyo had been an innocent and who had been, by the misfortune of birth, the caretaker of the Shikon jewel; the very reason why Inuyasha had fallen in love with her. All the times she had spent hating Kikyo, considering her a rival, had been misspent. Hiro had been right in saying that Kikyo was to be pitied. There had never really been any contest as it was she—and not Kikyo— whom Inuyasha truly loved and desired.

She turned to look at her husband, who was silently watching her with his sleep-heavy golden eyes. Wordlessly, he opened his arms, indicating that she lay down against him. With a grateful smile, Kagome obliged and snuggled up against his firm, bare chest. The moment his arms went around her, Kagome finally fell asleep.

ooo

The next day it was with great difficulty that Kagome, who was unhealthily thin, made her way to the room of Yamadera Akira. She sent him a request to allow her to visit him, since he had recently awakened. Akira, the younger brother of Yuki and Hiro, was made a prince as a result of Hiro having been crowned Emperor thirteen years earlier. Yuki, much to his dismay, was elevated to the rank of Crown Prince; leastways until such times as Hiro would present his subjects with an heir of his own.

This young elf prince was now lying quietly in bed, exhausted. He had taken to his bed five years previously and was now completely bedridden. Within the last year, he had begun slipping into deep sleeps that would last anywhere from a few days to several weeks at time. His body would never be strong enough for him to move about as he used to, his doctor had said. But there was little danger of him dying; at least his body would not, even as weakened as it was. His soul would merely go to sleep for eternity while his body would live on. Just like Sleeping Beauty.

When she at last reached the door to his bedchamber, she knocked. He called out feebly for her to enter, which she did. There were some things she needed to get off her chest—before it was too late.

oooooo

Inuyasha paced about the living room impatiently. He'd left Kagome a few hours ago in order to go for a run and she had been fast asleep. When he'd come back to their bedroom he found that she was not in bed. He took a quick shower, thinking that perhaps she had gone for a little while to get something to eat. But when he'd finished bathing, he found that Kagome still had not returned.

At last he could take it no more and went in search of Kagome's thirteen-year-old daughter, Yuri. He found his stepdaughter in her room, draped across her red plushy heart-shaped love seat and playing a video game. "Where is your mother?" he asked abruptly.

With large blue eyes that stared unblinkingly up at her television screen, Yuri shook her sleek ebony head. "I don't know." Her fingers deftly worked the video game controller. "She hasn't come back yet."

"She hasn't come back yet?" Inuyasha parroted. "What do you mean, she hasn't come back yet? Where did she go in the first place?"

Yuri, whose gaze never left the TV screen, smiled frostily. "She made me promise not to tell you," was her obscure reply.

An intense annoyance filled Inuyasha's soul. The way Yuri sat there, slouched the way she was and with that all-too-familiar smirk on her face, made Inuyasha want to reach out across the grave to sock Kouga one across the chops. Why, oh why, did this girl have to be so much like her father? It was extremely infuriating. There were many times when Yuri would walk into the room just as he was leaning over to kiss Kagome and without fail Inuyasha would jump back, thinking that Kouga was walking in the door to reclaim his wife.

He glared at Yuri, who shot a smug glance back at him. Inuyasha knew that she did not much care for him; she hated sharing her mother's affection with anybody but he understood why that was. After being raised singly by Kagome since the day she was born, Yuri was used to having her mother all to herself. Of course, both he and Yuki had courted Kagome throughout Yuri's short life, so the teenager was used to them being around. But Kagome had finally remarried and now Yuri was given a father for the first time in her life. And also, for the first time, she was forced to share her mom with someone else. It was plain to see how jealous this child of Kouga's was.

Inuyasha sighed. Being a stepfather was not easy.

"And why should she want to do that?" he demanded.

"I don't know," she said again. After a moment's silence, her lips began to twitch and she burst into laughter. "I'm only kidding! Mom said she was going to see Akira. Said she needed to see him about something. No big deal."

_No big deal? _

Swallowing the jealousy that was beginning to inch its way up his throat, Inuyasha frowned. She'd been gone for awhile now and Akira's quarters were not that far away. What on earth did she have to say to him that it must take _this_ long?

"Thanks. You're fucking hilarious, you know that? " Inuyasha informed his mate's offspring with asperity.

"Heh. I try."

"But she's been gone too long. What could be keeping her?"

The teenager shrugged nonchalant shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe Akira is making a move on her. Everyone knows he has the hots for her. Always has, so I hear."

Inuyasha graced another withering glare onto Kouga's evil spawn. "You have a filthy mind, _Yuyu-chan_," muttered the hanyou unkindly.

A thumb hit the pause button and that dark head whipped around. Piercing blue eyes glared hostilely up at Inuyasha. _'So,'_ he thought with a mental laugh, _'I have shaken your sangfroid. Nicely played, Inu. That's one for me.' _

Gritting her teeth, Yuri jumped to her feet. Even at the tender age of thirteen, Yuri was able to look Inuyasha squarely in the eyes. He wondered just how tall Kouga's teenage daughter would be in a few years' time. If she was destined to be exactly like her father in nearly every respect, then she had not much more to grow. Kouga, as he recalled, had been taller than him by at least half a foot.

"Hey! Don't you dare call me that! Only my mother is allowed to call me by that name!"

"Then don't speak of things of which you couldn't possibly understand, you insolent pup."

Crossing her arms imperiously over her chest, Yuri clicked her tongue reproachfully and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder, all the while glaring down her nose at him. Another one of Kouga's irritating habits. "Don't be such a pompous ass, Inu," she retorted. "Besides, I fully understand _'those things'_, as you put it. Just so you know, I have it on good authority he wanted to marry her long before Mom and my father got together."

"Really." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, too. "And on _whose_ authority did you get this nonsense from?"

Another shrug. "It isn't nonsense. It was Auntie Miranda, if you must know."

"_Lady_ Miranda, you mean."

"Yeah, whatever. She lets me call her Auntie, so there." Yuri's little pink tongue shot out for one rebellious moment.

The two stared daggers at each other for a moment before Inuyasha turned and left the room in a huff. He loved Kagome above all else, but that kid of hers drove him mad at times. He _must_ truly love her, to put up with such impertinence from Kouga's evil seed.

The comfortable little home he shared with Kagome and Yuri was an extension of the Imperial Palace. Lord Akira's bedchambers were located in the same wing of the palace as their quarters, so all Inuyasha had to do was make his way through a bit of winding corridor before he reached his destination.

He walked briskly down the hall and stopped at a set of double doors— Akira's bedchambers. Inuyasha raised his hand to knock, but paused before his knuckles came in contact with the wood. After a moment, he lowered his hand to his side. _'You poor bastard,'_ he thought with some guilt. _'You poor, sickly bastard.'_

Even though he had been perfectly entitled to take Kagome as his lifelong mate— _since his Cousin Gil's untimely demise, that is_— Akira had been too unwell to do so. It was with great reluctance that he had relinquished his right to Kagome although he had been next in line for her hand—and that right had naturally passed to his elder brother, Yuki.

Here, Inuyasha grinned suddenly but it was a grim smile. Yuki, you bastard. You smug, prissy, pansy-ass bastard.

Oh, how he_ hated _Yuki!

Yuki, who possessed hair of spun gold and glittering emeralds for eyes and who had also been blessed—_or cursed_— with a radiant, yet terrible beauty. Being half human, Inuyasha had passed out the first time he had glimpsed the elf prince in this realm and when he woke, he felt he would go insane if he looked upon that elf's face again. Thankfully, Hiro had been on hand to give him the antidote and insanity was averted.

Worse, the elf still desired the woman he loved. _His_ wife.

"_She's mine, hanyou,"_ the elf had crowed jubilantly upon hearing the news that his young brother no longer had a claim on Kagome. _"We may have both fucked up concerning her, but your fuck up was much worse than mine was. You don't have a mouse's chance in a snake pit!"_

All that over-confidence was enough to turn Inuyasha's stomach. Well, that and Yuki's devastatingly beautiful face. Partly in retaliation and partly because he couldn't help it, Inuyasha became sick all over Yuki's pristine robes. But he had finally won Kagome back and Yuki, ever the sore loser, had taken off for parts unknown.

Deciding that Kagome and Akira had had enough time to chat, Inuyasha raised his hand again and knocked. There was no answer.

He knocked again. Still there was no answer.

Cautiously, he opened the door and that was when the smell hit him. _Blood!_

Fangs bared, Inuyasha leapt into the room, only to give a shout a moment later. Before his stunned eyes was a ghastly scene. Akira lay, quite still, his eyes closed in sleep. Across the sleeping elf's body, lay the motionless figure of a woman. It was Kagome.

"Kagome?" he called but there was no response. Gingerly, and with fear creeping up his spine, Inuyasha removed Akira's hands, which were clutching at Kagome's head and turned Kagome over onto her back.

One look upon that still, white face told him that it would be useless to call for help. But it did not stop the cries of grief and horror which burst from his lips. He staggered backwards and dropped heavily to his knees.

Kagome's thin face was a mask of scarlet. Blood streamed from her nostrils, from her mouth and out of her ears— dear gods, blood was everywhere! Her eyes— _oh god_— her eyes were wide open and staring. Staring a horrible, very dead stare—

In the midst of his choking sobs and the feeling that a thick fog had taken over his skull, he could hear the sound of pounding feet echoing through the hallway. One set of feet was light; lighter than the others, and the fog in his brain instantly lightened but did not dissipate entirely.

Whirling around, Inuyasha rushed at the door and caught Yuri, forcing the teen bodily out of the room.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing—?"

Through the haze that had begun creeping back into Inuyasha's mind, he shook his head as calmly as he could.

"You— you're crying." Yuri tried to glance over Inuyasha's shoulder. "What's happened? What's going on?"

Unable to speak, Inuyasha only held her closer. "Don't. Don't go in there," he managed thickly after a moment.

The teenager stared at Inuyasha and sniffed the air. "Why do I smell blood?" She sniffed again and froze. The blue eyes that had been desperately trying to look past the hanyou's body and into the room behind him, turned slowly to the white face that matched his white hair. "That— that is the scent of my mother's blood," Yuri said slowly, almost accusingly.

Inuyasha felt his entire body grow numb but he held onto Kagome's precious child with all he had. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I should have gone to check on her sooner. I— I'm sorry."

Horror filled Yuri's blue eyes and they flew open wide with sudden comprehension. "Mom? Mom?" When there was no reply the words came out in panicked screams. _"Mom! Mom! Mom!"_

She shoved Inuyasha away and ran into the room, ignoring the choruses of "No, don't!" and came to a halt. The horrible sight on the bed forced her to stagger back, just as Inuyasha had done. And like Inuyasha, Yuri dropped to the ground, her tear-filled eyes staring with disbelieving horror at the woman on the bed.

For a long moment, Yuri swayed back and forth then began to scream and scream. Her grief-stricken cries echoed through the entire house for a long, long time.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Over the next few days, Yuri wandered about in a stunned daze. The shock of seeing her mom in such a tragic state, her lifeless body slumped over the slumbering form of her friend Akira, had taken its toll on her. She refused to eat and she couldn't sleep for the sight of her dead mother was always impinging on her brain. All thoughts of caring for her basic bodily needs had fled; she could only think of her mom and how desperately she wanted her back.

Inuyasha, who also was lost in shock, was deeply concerned for the girl and tried several times to get through to her, to no avail. Kagome's death had been a great blow to them both. But Inu, who had seen death of dear friends before was able to handle the situation a bit better, though not much. He had loved Kagome deeply and was thrown into despair, knowing that after all the time that had passed she had finally agreed to be his wife. After a year of happiness, he had lost her yet again. Only this time, it was for good.

Now he, along with Emperor Hiro and his brother Yuki, were visiting Kagome's elven doctor to find out the results of her autopsy.

When the elf brothers arrived, with several Imperial soldiers in tow as a matter of protocol, Inuyasha was treated to an unusual sight. Both Hiro and Yuki looked as though neither had slept in several days. Hiro was calm and composed, as an emperor should be. Yuki, however, was a total wreck. His normally immaculate appearance was gone; he looked as though he had been sleeping outside for weeks. The golden locks were in desperate need of washing and brushing; his clothes were filthy. But both were dreadfully pale; their eyes, red and swollen from crying.

"Your highness," murmured the doctor solemnly, presenting Hiro with an elegant bow.

Hiro nodded and sat. The other three followed suit.

When Hiro spoke, his voice was tight. "Let's get right down to the matter. What happened to her?"

The doctor cleared his throat. "Well, your highness, Kagome-sama came to me a month ago after experiencing the miscarriage she'd had two months ago." He shot Inuyasha an apologetic look. "She said a month had gone by but she still felt unwell. Naturally I did some tests on her to see what I could find."

"What were the results?"

"Well, your highness," repeated the doctor and once again, clearing his throat, "it turned out that Kagome-sama had cancer."

At the news, Inuyasha's heart dropped to his feet. "What?" he asked the doctor, his voice barely audible. He could not believe what he was hearing. His head began to spin. _Cancer?_ How could she have not said a word of this to him?

Beside him, Yuki moaned and buried his face in his hands. Hiro reached over and touched his brother's trembling shoulder. "What type of cancer did she have?" Hiro demanded.

The doctor glanced nervously at Inuyasha. "Ovarian. At least, it started out as ovarian cancer. I'm sorry. There is no easy way to say this," he said, addressing Inuyasha, "but the cancer had spread throughout her entire body. At the time of her death, the cancer was already in the terminal stage. She had anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks to live." He leaned back in his chair. "However, that was not the cause of death. Her death was caused by a massive hemorrhage in the brain. Fortunately for her, death was instantaneous. She felt no pain."

At this point, Yuki glanced up sharply, then put his head in his hands and gazed thoughtfully off into space. Hiro's face had gone a shade whiter than before and he could only stare at the doctor disbelievingly.

"A— brain hemorrhage?" repeated the emperor quietly.

"Yes, your highness. That is correct."

Hiro nodded. "I see." He said nothing more, for he now knew what had happened to Kagome. As if from a great distance, he recalled the words Yuki had spoken so long ago, back when the four of them had gone to the warring era so Kagome could purify the Shikon no Tama.

"_I can't imagine losing control of my powers and accidentally killing people I care about. That would tear me apart— Especially if I killed the woman I loved,"_ was what Yuki had said. At the time, Hiro remembered that he'd felt strange hearing that, as if those words would one day come to pass. And now, he knew they had.

As for Inuyasha, he got up and strode over to the windows behind the doctor's desk.

"When was she planning on telling me this?" he asked quietly. "About her cancer, I mean."

"I do not believe she wanted to say anything," the doctor replied. "She was very stunned by the diagnosis but said nothing else, only that no one was to know. At least, not until she was already deceased. I believe the last thing she wanted was for you and her daughter to find out that she was dying and that there was nothing that could be done to save her."

But Inuyasha did not want to hear that. He felt his soul being swallowed by a tidal wave of grief and all he wanted was to have her back once more, just to hold her and tell her how much he loved her. It was not fair! How long had he waited for her, only to have her brutally taken from him? Rage filled him and he slammed his fists down onto the windowsill. "But you're an elf!" he cried, his anger and frustration surging forth. "Elves can use magic, can't they? Why didn't you at least _try_ to save her?"

The door to the doctor's office opened and Yuri came in. Inuyasha and the others turned to her and saw that she was extremely pale and quite shaken. Apparently, she had just overheard their conversation.

His wretchedness forgotten, Inuyasha was across the room and at Yuri's side before anyone could get to their feet. "Yuri, what are you doing here? You should be in bed resting."

She shook her head. "No. I don't need to be in bed. What I need is to be here, discussing my mom." She sat down in Inuyasha's seat and eyed the doctor shrewdly. "So, my mother had terminal cancer. Is there anything else I should know?"

An angry voice burst out, "Oh, for fuck's sake. You're only a kid. Why don't you run away and play with your dolls?" It was Yuki, who could not help but glare at Yuri, whose likeness to her father was making him irrationally angry.

Yuri turned an icy blue stare at the elf prince. "I thought you should know by now that I don't give a damn who you are," she bit out acidly. She could feel his disdain for her but she did not care. "My mother is dead and I must ask that you respect my feelings at this time. It's the least you could do."

"Respect you, huh?" Yuki responded with undisguised sarcasm. All he could see was Kouga's face and— coupled with the fact that it was due to her dislike of him that she urged Kagome to marry Inuyasha and turn him down— he grew even more enraged. "You've done nothing to gain _my_ respect, you spiteful little girl."

"That's enough, Yuki," Hiro said quickly, shushing his brother.

"No, it's fine," said Yuri coolly. "And _you've_ done nothing to gain my respect either, so we're pretty much even." She flicked her hair dismissively over her shoulder and turned her attention to the doctor once more. "So why didn't you try to save her? Aren't the _elves_ advanced enough in medicine to cure terminal illnesses?" She emphasized the word 'elves' for Yuki's sake and laughed inwardly with satisfaction when he leaned forward to glare hatefully at her.

"Well yes," began the doctor, nervously eyeing the seething, red-faced Crown Prince. "But your mother—" He spread his hands out in a gesture of helplessness. "Normally, humans are easy to heal. They are not nearly as complex as either my kind or demon-kind. But your mother was a rather different case. You see, I _did_ try to heal her, but it brought her nothing but agony. I could sense that by attempting to rid her of her cancer, it only accelerated the spread of the disease. This attempt at treatment occurred two days before her death."

Hiro stared hard at his physician. "So this brain hemorrhage she suffered spared her any further pain? That is, from the pain she _would_ have suffered had she lived until her cancer ultimately killed her?"

The doctor nodded. "Oh yes, your highness. Undoubtedly that is the case."

After the last word was spoken, silence fell upon the occupants of the room.

"_Okaa-san_," Yuri whispered. She shut her eyes for a brief moment. "So there really was nothing you could do."

Hiro stared absently off into space.

Yuki was sobbing wretchedly again. "This is wrong!" Yuki cried. His eyes bulged madly in their sockets. He turned his attention to the doctor, who instantly sat bolt upright. "You! I don't believe a word you're saying!" he shouted and got slowly to his feet. "You sit there, behaving as though you did have not a care in the world. But let me tell you something, you quack. I _know_ you could have saved her. Elves are far more advanced in medicine than humans. We have magic on our side, so do not tell me that you did not do all you could to save her life."

The doctor looked uncomfortable for a moment. "My lord prince," he replied cautiously, "I told you that when I tried to aid her, her cancer only spread further. I have never seen anything like it. The cancer took over her body— and there was nothing that I, nor anyone else, could do."

"You lie."

Hiro put out a hand and gripped his agitated brother's wrist. "For pity's sake, stop it," he begged. "You are upsetting everyone."

With a snarl, Yuki snatched his hand away. "Oh come on, brother," he snapped angrily. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since I heard of Kagome's death and I'm pretty sure I know what's going on here. Kagome found _him_— and since the good doctor here swears up and down that he did all he could for her, there is only one explanation as to why she died."

"Don't start that again." Hiro rubbed his temples with a weary hand.

Inuyasha glanced at Hiro sharply. "Don't start what again? What does he mean?"

The emperor sighed and shook his head. "Well, go on. Out with it. What explanation would that be, Yuki? Tell everyone here about your brilliant theory."

"Simple, my dear Watson. Kagome had been behaving oddly lately. I should know; I kept a close eye on her. About two weeks ago, I followed her and saw her go to the park inside the palace gardens. Well, I thought nothing of it, thinking that she wanted a change of scenery. But then she began going to the park every day, where she would go and watch the children at play. I began to wonder why she should do something like this, for she had never done so before. Then it occurred to me: maybe she found him!"

Inuyasha and Yuri looked bewildered. "Found him?" asked Inuyasha. "Him, who?"

Slowly, a ghastly, half-mad grin spread over Yuki's pale, clammy face. "Who? But who else?" There was a dramatic pause and then he cried, "Kouga! She'd found Kouga, of course! Within the group of kids she observed in the gardens, there was one who would always come over to her and speak to her. I never found out who the child was; I was too far away and all elf children look alike to me. Well, almost all. The child that would go visit her had black hair. Just like Kouga," he finished dourly.

Yuri and Inuyasha stared at the elf prince in silence.

Then Yuki began to laugh wildly and Hiro leaned forward and clapped a hand over his brother's mouth. "Forgive my brother," he begged, "but Yuki hasn't been well since hearing of Kagome's passing. He's been rather—"

"I'm not crazy! Damn it, Hiro, I'm not crazy! I know what I'm talking about! _He's here._ Kouga is here and I know it."

"How can you possibly know a thing like that?" asked Inuyasha. His hand was itching to slap the hysterical elf across the face. "You sound like you're off your rocker, you know that? I think you need to take a long vacation to some place where it's peaceful."

Yuki gritted his perfect teeth. "What the hell do you know? Listen, you filthy little mouth-breather, I'll have you know that I am perfectly lucid. You just don't want to hear what I have to say because you know I'm right. I'm telling you that Kouga _has_ come back and had Kagome lived, she—"

"But she didn't, did she?" replied Inuyasha in a hushed voice.

"No, she didn't. But the timing was too perfect, don't you think? Think about it. She learns that she has cancer and later discovers that her one true love has been reincarnated. Then the doc over here tries to save her, but he only makes her condition worse. Well, there you have it. That's why she went to Akira, you see." Yuki scratched his chin and looked thoughtful. "The only real question here is how she managed to keep the doc's powers from healing her."

The others stared at Yuki in confusion and not a little horror.

"You're not suggesting—!" cried the elven doctor, shocked. "But Lord Akira is a prince of the realm! Why would he commit such a terrible act?"

Impatiently, Yuki rolled his eyes. "Oh please, don't behave like a scandalized old woman. I knew at once it was him. A brain hemorrhage? C'mon. That has Akira written all over it."

"So what do you think happened?" Hiro queried resignedly. _What on earth was Yuki babbling about?_ "How do _you_ think Kagome was able to use the doctor's healing powers to make herself sicker?"

Yuki narrowed his eyes, which glittered with mischief. "You never thought of it, did you, brother? I'm talking of Kagome and the Shikon no Tama, of course."

Instantly alert, Hiro sat up in his chair. "What does the jewel have to do with her death?" he asked suspiciously.

"Again I ask, why do you think the doctor's efforts to save Kagome worked against him? Kagome was an extraordinary woman, but for all intents and purposes she _was_ only human. So why wouldn't his elven magic save her?"

Every eye in the room was trained on Yuki.

"Because the jewel wouldn't allow it, that's why," he explained with a smug grin. "And do you know _why_ the jewel wouldn't allow her to be saved?"

Hiro, not liking where this was going— especially with Kagome's daughter in the room— got to his feet. "Come on, Yuki, let's not get into this right now. Okay? You need to rest, I think. At any rate, this is all wild speculation. How can you know for sure if Kouga really has been reincarnated?"

Yuri put up a hand and stopped him. "No, I want to know." She looked at Yuki and nodded. "Please finish what you were saying."

"Yuri—" began Hiro warningly.

Yuri shook her head. "No, I have to know."

Hiro shrugged and gestured for his brother to continue, which Yuki did.

"The jewel responds to what Kagome wants. Am I right, Hiro?"

The emperor nodded hesitantly and Yuki went on, "Kagome was forty and dying of cancer. She wanted to be with Kouga again, but the only way to do that was to be reborn. What else could she do? There was no way she could be with him in _this_ life. So when she came to see the doc for her treatment, she came wearing the jewel. He wouldn't think anything of it because she always wore it. Anyway, he does his thing, but the cancer only spreads further and at an incredible rate, which would have hastened her death. But instead she died in another manner."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, where is all this going?" blurted Inuyasha, suddenly filled with impatience.

"She went to the doc's treatment with the jewel in hopes that it would reverse the healing process. Well, it works all too well. Anyway, the disease was hastening the end of her life but now Kagome was in incredible pain. Too much pain. She couldn't stand it any longer. So what else could she do? Whom could she turn to?" Yuki paused then added gently, "Akira loved Kagome. There was nothing in the world he wouldn't do for her." He hung his head and began to weep bitterly.

"But why?" Inuyasha was regarding the tearful Yuki balefully.

"Why?" Yuki's fair head came up sharply. He glared at the hanyou, his green eyes glittering with angry tears. "It was _because_ he loved her that he ended her life. That's why. She was in agony and he—he couldn't stand to see her in such pain."

"But why would she go off and end her life without saying goodbye to her family? At the very least she would have told Yuri—"

At this point, Yuri got to her feet. "If you don't mind, I want to go home. No, Inuyasha, it's fine. I'll be fine." She smiled gratefully at her stepfather. "I just want to be alone right now, if you don't mind." With a bow to the emperor, Yuri made her escape.

As she made her way home, Yuri's mind turned over and over to the matter of her mom's death. The news that her mother had had cancer hadn't been a shock to her; Yuri had known all along. Kagome had told her from the outset. But the revelation that her cancer was terminal had come as a complete surprise. Her mom had neglected to tell her that.

Inuyasha had been right, though. If her mom _had_ decided to end her life, she would have, at the very least, told her own daughter farewell beforehand. Yuri knew that if her mom had decided to make such a decision, she would have come out and told her. That's just the way it had been with them. Yuri would have understood why her mother would have wished to die. She wouldn't have forced her mother to endure the pain any longer than she had to.

But her mother's sudden death bothered her. She knew her mom and her mom would not have committed so rash an act without telling Yuri. Whatever had come their way, whatever decisions needed to be made, Yuri and her mother had always discussed them together. When her mom decided to marry Inuyasha, she had asked Yuri for feedback. Since Yuri preferred to have Inu as a stepfather rather than Yuki_— whom she felt was __**the**__ most arrogant jackass ever_— she told her mom so and that she felt Inu was by far the better choice. Yuri had also recognized the fact that her mother was lonely for male companionship and although she really didn't want to share her mom with anyone else, she'd gently pushed her mom into marrying Inuyasha.

All things considered, her mother's death appeared very suspicious. It was no accident, she thought gravely.

Shaking her head to clear it of such unattractive thoughts, her mind went back over the recent encounter with His Royal Jackass, Prince Yuki, and grimaced. Behind that pretty face, was the world's most inconsiderate jerk. There was no doubt in her mind that if her mother had become his wife, Yuri knew she'd end up murdering her royal stepfather. Or at the very least, attempt to.

When Yuri reached the home she had shared with her mom and stepfather, she headed for her mother's bedroom and lay down on her mom's side of the bed. Before Inuyasha had moved into their home, she and her mom had spent many hours together in bed, watching television, talking or reading to each other. Before her mom's miscarriage, they had still read together and Inuyasha, knowing that this was an important event in their day, took himself off to allow them their time together.

Just recently, the books of choice had been ridiculously lurid romance novels, spine chilling thrillers, with an occasional murder mystery thrown into the mix. Yuri recalled, as a child, watching the expressions on her mom's face as she read to her. This nightly ritual always occurred after bath time, and the combining scents of clean sheets and the soap she had been scrubbed down with, had filled Yuri with a sense of anticipation. She loved listening to her mom read to her.

That was how they lived their life together for the span of Yuri's life. It had been a simple, yet warm and wonderful life full of love and light.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she breathed in deeply, savoring the lingering scent of her mother's shampoo. She wrapped herself up in her mother's sheets, in hopes of feeling as though her mom was right there, surrounding her.

'_Why?_' she cried her in her head as she sobbed helplessly into her mother's pillow. _'Why did you leave me? It wasn't supposed to have ended this way! Oh mom, why? Why?'_

Inuyasha came in an hour later to find Yuri completely swaddled in Kagome's bedclothes and sleeping deeply. Without a word, he slipped back out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The years flew by. Yuri was now a tall, lanky demoness of twenty-eight. To everyone who had known her father, they always told her that if she had been male, she would have been his identical twin.

And she certainly was identical to him. Everything that she saw in her mother's pictures of him was exactly what she saw in the mirror. The same silken obsidian locks, the same striking features, the same wolfish smile, the same piercing ice blue eyes. She took pride in that and every time she gazed into the mirror at her reflection, she was comforted by the sight she saw there.

She did have one regret, however. It saddened her that she looked nothing like her beloved mother, whom she missed deeply. Fifteen years had gone by since she lost her mom and although time had greatly healed her grieving soul, pangs of sorrow would always prick at her heart whenever she remembered her mother.

Before her mom's death, the two of them had had a long conversation and she had told Yuri that if anything ever happened to her, she promised that she _would_ come back and they would be reunited. That comforted Yuri. Her mother had always kept her word.

On this cool autumn day, Yuri was jogging in the park with her best friend, a pint-sized inu youkai.

"Man, I hate winter," complained the pocket-sized Venus running beside her.

Yuri chuckled. "It's not winter yet. It's only October, Juno, and this is lovely weather. We've got two more months before the cold hits." She paused then remarked thoughtfully, "I'm just glad that Aunt Haruka is due next month, before we have to leave. I can't wait to meet my new cousin."

Juno grunted. "Well, it _feels_ like winter already. Damn, I hate cold weather." She cast a sidelong glance at Yuri. "Wait. We're leaving?"

"Yeah. You won't have to put up with this wretched cold weather for long," she muttered sarcastically and wiped the perspiration from her brow. She was sweating profusely. Cold weather, indeed! If only. Juno was obviously insane.

"Our next assignment is going to take us to a hot and humid rainforest." Yuri pulled a grimace. "Simply lovely."

The silver-haired demoness at Yuri's side came to a halt and as she did so, grabbed hold of her friend's arm and yanked her back. "Don't play around with me, Yuri," she commanded.

Yuri laughed. "I'm not. Wish I was, though."

Juno's bright yellow eyes positively gleamed with hope. "Are you telling me that we're headed for South America?"

Yuri stifled a groan. She despised South America for the simple reason that whenever they were sent over there on assignment, they were always sent to the Amazon region, where the hotbed of youkai activity was normally at its highest. Worse, they were always sent during December when the heat there was ridiculously oppressive and the entire mosquito population flourished. Youkai and mosquitoes make for a very nasty combination.

"Don't look so excited," Yuri moaned. "_You_ may like it there, but I cannot stand it! The last time I came back, it took at least two weeks for all my mosquito bites to disappear." She glanced down at her bare forearms in remembrance. "Filthy, vicious little bastards. I was surprised that I didn't become anemic!"

Juno waved her friend's complaints away. "Don't be ridiculous, Yuri. All you have to do is use bug repellent. That keeps the pests away."

"Well, I would have," Yuri began, scowling, "if you three hadn't used it all up before I got a chance to use it once."

Long silvery lashes batted innocently up at Yuri. "Whatever do you mean?" Juno asked guilelessly.

"What I mean," Yuri retorted, "is that you and the twins have _got_ to bring your own repellent this time. I won't have you using mine like you did last time. It's not my fault that you three are the most forgetful females ever." She glared down at Juno and jogged off.

"That's so mean," Juno mumbled before following her squad leader meekly.

As Juno continued to grumble behind her, Yuri studied the face of every person she passed. It was what she always did when she was out in public. Although it annoyed Juno whenever they went out anywhere, Yuri couldn't help herself. She felt that if she missed one face, she might miss the face of her mom. After she found out about her cancer, Kagome had promised Yuri that if something should happen to her, then she would come back. It was the one thing that kept Yuri going during the moments of her life when she had grown despondent over her mother's death.

"_I will come back. I promise,"_ her mom had said. She smiled and added, _"I couldn't bear to leave my little girl behind."_

And Yuri knew her mother would come back. Of that, she had no doubt.

Of course, her mom most probably would not look as she had in her last life, but Yuri believed that she would know her mother regardless. It was in the eyes, Inuyasha had told her once. The eyes would give it all away.

So day after day, looking for a woman—_or possibly a man_— with her mother's eyes had become her tireless and never-ending task. One day, she told herself, she would find her mom. No matter how long it took, she would find her.

The silver-haired beauty who trailed behind her at this moment noticed immediately that Yuri's attention was diverted.

"Yuri," Juno called out, barely concealing her displeasure.

"Yeah?" Yuri called back over her shoulder. She did not seem to notice Juno's annoyance.

"You're doing it again."

Yuri stopped short and turned to look at her friend. "Doing what?"

Juno also had come to a halt. "What else? What you're always doing whenever you go out." She narrowed her yellow eyes at the taller demoness. "Don't you ever get tired of it? I mean, look at how much time you've wasted staring in the faces of strangers. And for what? Nothing ever happens."

The wolf demoness stiffened and glared down at her tiny companion. "Are you going to start in on me again, Juno? Because if you are, this is where I leave you."

Juno rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Yuri. Don't be so sensitive."

"And you shouldn't be so _in_sensitive." Yuri straightened to her full height. "I'm so very sorry if I am not giving you the whole of my attention that you believe you deserve. Forgive me, your majesty!" She accentuated her anger with a mock bow.

"Don't start that again!" Juno cried. She wished, and not for the first time, that she had been graced with more height. It was difficult attempting an authoritative stance when one was only five feet tall and your target was just over six feet tall. "Look, all I'm saying is that you're obsessed—"

Yuri's blue eyes flashed fiercely in her anger-mottled face. "Yeah, that's right. You're totally correct. I'm obsessed with my mom. I'm obsessed with finding her. So fucking sue me!"

Juno held up her hands. "I'm sorry, Yuri, but I have to say my piece. You shouldn't waste all of your time searching. I mean, you do it even when go out to a club when you're supposed to be dancing and having a good time. All I'm saying is that this— _activity_— shouldn't be the most important thing in your life."

"Are you done?" Yuri's voice was cold.

At this juncture, Juno knew she should let it go. But she was not one to let things rest. In the back of her mind, she could hear the twins yell at her to stop and shut the hell up— but her mouth had always had a mind of its own.

"She's dead, Yuri. Your mom is dead but you're not! I wish you'd realize this. You're alive and you need to stop keeping vigil for her. If she comes back, then she comes back— but staring at every single person you come across won't make it happen any faster."

"We've known each other since birth and you still don't understand," Yuri said quietly. Her face was somber. "It must be so nice to be you, Juno. At least both of your parents are still alive." Without another word, she turned on her heel and sped off.

Juno could only watch with some confusion as her friend disappeared into the grove of trees on the far side of the park. With anyone else she would have run after them, but Yuri was far too fast a runner. She looked like a whirlwind as she took off—

Shaking her head, Juno touched the gold bracelet on her left wrist and felt the familiar rush of the portal as it whisked her back to her home in the Elven realm. But as soon as she stepped through the gateway, she was greeted by two sets of blue eyes that eyed her accusingly.

"Don't start," she muttered and moved off to the right and towards one of two doorways which led out of the portal/living room.

"You did it again, didn't you?" It was a double accusation.

The words rang out and Juno turned her head. Her foot came in contact with something heavy that lay on the floor and she stumbled over it. "What are you talking about? Were you following me again?" She glanced down and saw two large and dusty backpacks sitting on the floor. "Well? Were you? And whose stuff is this?"

The twins stared hard at her, making her feel uncomfortable. At twenty, they were lovely, ethereal creatures; exact replicas of their mother, with long golden hair and big, soulful blue eyes. And like their mother, the twins were elves.

Juno loved her sisters, but she hated the way they tended to gang up on her, especially after she opened her big mouth and hurt Yuri.

After staring at their older sister for a long moment, they shrugged in unison.

"No," said Artemis casually.

"Then?"

Athena continued. "Well, it's just that when you appeared—"

"—you had a guilty look on your face—"

"—and the only time you feel any sort of guilt—"

"—is when you've hurt Yuri with your insensitivity," finished Artemis with a smug expression.

"Guilt? I only gave her my opinion, that's all." Juno glared hatefully at the two of them. Irritating little know-it-alls, the both of them. "You know what? Why don't you both go fuck yourselves. Okay? Thanks."

As she spoke, the other door to the family room swung open, revealing two tall young men. They entered the room, each holding a plate loaded with food and a glass of water. "Now, now, Juno. Don't be so hateful to our little sisters," said the taller of the two reproachfully.

A groan erupted from Juno's lips. "Oh gods, what are _you_ doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere trying to get into some girl's pants?" she muttered derisively.

Hearty laughter erupted from the extremely tall inu youkai. He set his food and drink down on the large, glass-topped coffee table. "What a dirty mind you have, Juno! But then again, you would know. I mean after all, we _are_ twins." He sent her a saucy wink.

Juno glanced at her twin brother and shook her head in wonder. People were surprised to learn that she and Dante were twins. Their personalities were nearly exactly opposites; even their sizes differed greatly. She was diminutive in stature while he was quite tall and massive. Built like a brick house, Yuri had said once.

And he was. His frame was solid but flexible enough to allow him to move about smoothly, like a cat. Other than their obvious height difference, they both resembled their father with their white silvery hair, golden eyes and purple markings to show their proud youkai heritage. They were twenty-eight years old, a mere five months younger than Yuri.

"Seriously, what are you doing home? I thought you and your team were away on assignment."

Dante nodded. "Well we were, but we were summoned home." He tilted his head and regarded Juno in an odd way, as if he was expecting her to respond.

"Okay." She stared back at him with a blank expression. "Why?"

"Wow, you're really lost in your own world, aren't you?" Dante asked, shaking his head. "Either that or you don't care. But I assume it's the latter. Really, Juno, you're the most insensitive creature I've ever known."

Juno winced. The only thing they seemed to have in common was their straightforward way of speaking. "Damn it, don't _you_ start!" she demanded when her eyes lit on a solitary figure stretched out on one of the sofas and munching silently on a well-stacked ham sandwich. "Well, Ty? Aren't you going to say hello to me?"

Her twenty-two year old brother, Tiberius, lifted his fair head and acknowledged her silently with a nod. But his gaze did not remain on Juno and he returned his attention to his food, which he delved into with relish. Her younger brother was such an odd boy, she thought to herself. He was so solitary, so closed-in on himself that it was a wonder he made it through basic training at all. Luckily, their father was the head of the Slayer Corp., which was why he ended up on Dante's squadron under his elder brother's watchful eye.

"You say you were summoned home," she remarked casually. "What's the matter?"

Before Dante could explain why he and Tiberius had been summoned to come home, a swirling circle of pale blue light lit up the center of the room and out of the portal stepped Yuri. She held a spray of peach-tinted roses and baby's breath in her hand. It was obvious she had changed clothes and bathed hurriedly; her long black hair was still dripping wet at the ends.

"Hey," she said, panting, "I just heard. How is she?"

Surprised to see her friend and happy that she was here – _no doubt to apologize for her rude behavior in the park_— Juno smiled benignly at the newcomer. "Yuri! You're just the person I wanted to see. I'm so glad you came over and yes, I forgive you. Can we be friends again? Those are some lovely flowers. For me?" She held out her hand eagerly for the bouquet.

"No, I'm not here to see you and no, these are not for you," replied Yuri shortly. She turned to the twins and smiled at them. They, in turn, rushed over to Yuri with delighted cries of welcome and enveloped her in a hug sandwich. Over the fair heads of the elf twins she said, "Hey Dante, hey Ty. Welcome home. How's your mom? Has the baby come yet?"

Juno started, her face turning instantly scarlet. "Oh gods," she murmured, embarrassed. "Mom's in labor?"

Dante shook his head. "Nope, no kid yet. Her labor only began a few hours ago." He went over to Yuri and gave her a hug as soon as the twins released her. "Thanks for coming. Dad says that the labor is going to be difficult—"

"I see. You'll be having a youkai sibling then," murmured Yuri as Athena re-attached herself to her. With a smile, Yuri gently squeezed Athena back. She adored the elf twins greatly; they were like little sisters to her and that meant a lot to Yuri. Having grown up as an only child, she had readily accepted Artemis and Athena when the girls begged her to be their adopted big sister. As usual, Juno hated the idea and threw a jealous fit while Dante thought it was a great idea. Tiberius hadn't cared either way.

"Looks that way," Dante said with a grin. He had such an easy way with him that made people like him on sight. "A little brother, so dad says. That's fine with me and that's a good thing. I don't think I could handle another Juno." He reached out and with one massive paw, grabbed the top of Juno's head and shook her slightly. Juno wobbled under his hand. "Sorry sis, but one of you is enough."

"I hate you," growled Juno.

Laughter bellowed from Dante as he enfolded his twin in a bear hug, causing Juno to lash out at him angrily. His laughter was joined by Athena's and Artemis's girlish giggles. Tiberius was steady eating and did not join in their mirth.

Yuri smiled. The Takashi family had been such a big part of her life when she was growing up before and even more so after her mother's death. Lady Miranda had been like a second mother to her and for a few months after her mom had passed away, the elf princess had been there for her whenever Yuri had woken up screaming from nightmares where she was back in that room and seeing her mother's dead body. When the nightmares ceased waking her, Lady Miranda allowed her three daughters to stay with Yuri and the four girls would spend all night talking. Well, she and Juno would spend all night talking; Athena and Artemis would fall asleep early on, as they were only five years old at the time.

Now the twins were chattering away at Dante, who talked to them just as enthusiastically as they talked to him. Again Yuri smiled. He was such a patient man and so good with kids. Dante always had been, even when they were kids themselves. When the twins had fallen asleep during their sleepovers, he would come into their room to pick up his little sisters and carried them off to their own beds.

With an odd little tug at her heart, Yuri told herself what a great mate and father Dante would be one day. Whomever he took for a mate would be one lucky female indeed.

"You okay, Yuri?" asked Dante, his bright yellow eyes darkening with concern.

She nodded, wishing silently that he wouldn't look at her like that, with those big, golden eyes which she secretly adored. "Yeah, I'm okay. A little tired, I guess." She hoped she gave him a convincing enough smile.

He studied her for a long moment before giving her a big, relieved grin. "It happens," he said jovially. "Here, sit. Take a load off. I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind if you girls wanted to join her in the delivery room, but honestly, I wouldn't. Dad is psychotically protective of Mom as it is; he's even worse when she's in labor." Dante laughed and dropped down heavily on the couch beside his brother, who had obediently sat up and moved his legs off the couch in order to let his big brother sit down.

Athena and Artemis curled up beside their brothers on the sofa. Juno glared at the lot of them and exited the room, while declaring to the group that she was off to clean up.

That left Yuri.

Setting her bouquet down on the coffee table, she took a seat on the loveseat across from the Dante and the others. She watched the elf twins interact with their brothers and felt another little twinge in her chest. Athena leaned against Dante, her head resting against his broad shoulder, as she made an inquiry about something. Dante, who was munching away on his sandwich, nodded and after swallowing his food, he answered his sister's question. The dainty little elf grinned engagingly up at her big brother; he returned it with one of his own.

Yuri had to force herself to look away. Seeing Dante here, in this natural setting, was almost too painful to watch. She much preferred to see him when they were away from home, where his mother couldn't see how he wildly he behaved. Outside of home, outside of the Elven world, was really where Dante let loose. He had a reputation of being promiscuous; a playboy.

It was easier looking at him if he was, as he called it, _"on a roll"_. He had an eye for women; especially petite, curvaceous women. Unfortunately for Yuri, petite and curvaceous were not words that could be associated with her. She was tall and slim, with an almost androgynous figure. Her bosom was small and her hips were practically non-existent. In fact, she was the antithesis of what Dante preferred.

Dante glanced over at her suddenly and smiled at her. Under his friendly gaze, Yuri blushed furiously and squirmed uncomfortably on the sofa. She really wished he wouldn't do that. It was bad enough she had feelings for him, but when he looked at her that way she grew more self-conscious about herself. How often she wished that she had a figure like Juno, who was so small, so dainty, so womanly. Yet every morning she looked in the mirror and saw a face she was proud of but she wished that not everything on her resembled that of her father.

Feeling disconsolate, Yuri sighed softly. It was useless to keep longing for him. She knew he would never look at her with desire in his eyes. He was far too handsome and far too sexy for her comfort. Besides, they were friends and that was where the relationship ended.

A shrill scream broke the silence of the room, startling all the occupants. Dante and Ty were instantly on their feet. Their actions were followed by the twins and Yuri. From down the other hallway there was the sound of running feet and Juno suddenly appeared.

"That was Mom!" she cried.

"I know," Dante replied. His gaze was fixed on the direction of the scream.

"We should go and—" Juno began heading towards the other corridor from where the scream had come.

"Don't!" Dante grabbed Juno and held her back. "It's not safe this time. When Ty and I arrived, we went to see how Mom was. She was alone and very insistent that we leave, especially me. We did as she asked and it was as well that we left when we did, because dad came into the room, growling at us."

"He was growling at you," corrected Ty quietly.

"Fine, he was growling at me," Dante amended. "But seeing two males in the same room where his mate was in labor nearly sent him in a rage." He glanced over his shoulder at Yuri. "Youkai males can be extremely dangerous, especially where their mate is concerned. I hate to admit it but in a fight against my father, I would decidedly be the loser." He grinned ruefully. "Besides, I didn't want to deprive you of my company, Yuri, so I beat it out of there." Dante shot her a saucy wink.

Yuri blushed and frowned at him. What an infuriating male!

There was another scream and everyone tensed. Silence descended on them but was swiftly broken by the shrill cries of an infant. A collective sigh erupted from the group and everyone relaxed. All but Yuri and Ty began chattering excitedly amongst themselves. They had to wait until Lord Sesshoumaru appeared with the infant in order for them to dare to approach Lady Miranda. After a few minutes, Sesshoumaru appeared holding a white-haired and squalling infant.

"May I introduce you to the latest addition to the Takashi clan? This handsome boy is Draco." Sesshoumaru grinned and held out his newborn son proudly to his older children.

As all his children surged forward to see the baby, Yuri's cell phone vibrated at her side. She grabbed the phone, checked the number then answered excitedly. After listening for a moment, she paled and sank down slowly onto the sofa.

While Athena and Artemis squealed with delight and cooed over their baby brother, Sesshoumaru, Dante and Juno all turned around to look with curiosity at Yuri when she answered her phone.

"Okay," Yuri was saying slowly. "I'm on my way." She closed the phone and pressed a trembling hand to her mouth.

Dante was at her side in a heartbeat and sat down beside her on the sofa. "Yuri? What's the matter?" he asked, touching her shoulder gently with one hand. He turned her face to his when he smelled her tears. "What's wrong?" he demanded, staring firmly into her tear-filled eyes.

Unable to help herself, Yuri threw herself against him and began to sob. His arms went around her and held her tightly. But at the moment, she could find little joy in that kind gesture.

"It's my Aunt Haruka," she said thickly. "My aunt was due to give birth next month, but the baby came too early."

Sesshoumaru had handed Draco over to Juno before coming over and kneeling down in front of Yuri. "What's happened to her? Are she and the baby okay?"

Yuri pulled away from Dante and wiped her eyes with the end of her shirt. "The baby is okay. It's a girl," she said shakily and gave the Taiyoukai a watery smile. But the smile faltered and vanished when the tears began to flow again. "My aunt— they couldn't stop the bleeding. She died in the delivery room."

Silence fell on the little group as Yuri got to her feet. "Forgive me, Lord Sesshoumaru, everyone. I'm afraid I must go." She bent down and picked up the bouquet of peach roses. "These are for Lady Miranda," she said, handing the flowers to Sesshoumaru. "I wish I could be happier for you all right now—but I must—I must go. Please excuse me." Without another word, Yuri grabbed hold of her gold bracelet and the portal opened. She dashed through it, vanishing instantly in the swirling blue mist.

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A/N: I am so very sorry for taking forever posting this fic! When I started out writing this story, the plot was very different. *sigh* But hopefully what I've got planned will work out alright. Thanks for your patience! Please do read—Review is optional! ^_^

Arigato gozaimasu!

RSB


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Inuyasha & Co. are not mine. However, all the OCs are. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

A/N: I have decided to add chapter 1 to the Prologue, simply to keep from confusing myself about which chapters I actually have posted. Sorry for the confusion/inconvenience! ^_^;; On with the show!

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Chapter 2

At her Aunt Haruka's funeral a week later, Yuri kept a close eye on her uncle. His complexion was much better on this somber day, rather than the pale and clammy gray color he had been the day his wife had passed on. When Yuri had reached the hospital, she found a doctor and a nurse attending to him. They had ended up keeping him overnight for observation.

Many people had come for the funeral, which was a joyous affair. Uncle Souta said that Aunt Haruka believed that funerals should celebrate someone's life and that she detested gloominess and sorrow. As a last request she had asked those at her funeral, her family and friends, should be full of cheer and not sadness.

Some who attended that day, Yuri had never seen before but most were people that she knew or were acquainted with. Among those she knew, the Takashi clan was there as well. Also in attendance were the Emperor Hiro and his brother, Crown Prince Yuki.

When the latter strolled in, Yuri was instantly aware of his presence. She turned her head to look at him but was not surprised by the look he sent her way. The old hatred was still there, she noted with an inward sigh, and as strong as ever. Not surprising really, for the older she became the more like her father she appeared. Yuki, she told herself, just could not let go the fact that her father had taken her mother away from him. Yuri wondered vaguely if the jealous blond elf would ever get over it.

Another look at Yuki told her that that would not be the case for any time to come. Menacing, glittering green eyes peered at her through narrowed slits, and Yuri was eerily reminded of a hissing coiled snake ready to spring at her, its fangs dripping with venom.

But Uncle Souta appeared and Yuki's fangs were retracted—for the moment. Her uncle seemed to be extremely gratified at such illustrious visitors to his humble shrine. "My lords," he greeted the royal elves with a low bow as they entered his home. "I thank you for coming to the funeral of my dear wife. She would have been most honored to have received you."

As Yuri looked on, Hiro took her uncle's hands and held them to his chest. "We've known you since you were still in school, Souta. Please don't be so formal with us," begged the emperor kindly. "Haruka-sama was a lovely woman. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. You know, I still can recall the day you first mentioned her to me. It was so charming, seeing my dear Kagome's little brother in love."

Yuri had to bite her lip when her uncle stared fondly up at the dark-haired elf. It was such a tender moment that she nearly looked away.

"Thank you, Hiro-sama," Souta replied with a smile. It was a smile that always reminded Yuri of her mom, for she had bestowed that very same gentle smile on Yuri many times in her childhood.

"How are the children?" Hiro asked as he slipped the older human male's arm through his. "Doing well, I hope?"

Seeing her uncle hang his head, Yuri ground her teeth. The infant was still in the hospital. But her older brother was at this moment sitting in a corner of the living room, as still and expressionless as a statue.

"I'm afraid my wife's passing has hit my son very hard. He has spoken barely a word to anyone this past week." Souta paused then added sadly, "When I ask him to come with me to the hospital to visit his sister, he refuses. The look on his face is one I have never seen before." He turned to look at Hiro. "If I didn't know my son any better, I would swear that he hates his sister and blames her for their mother's death."

Hiro frowned slightly. "And the little one? Is she well?" inquired the emperor.

Yuri watched as Hiro, her uncle and Yuki walked away to the back of the house where the kitchen was located. When they had disappeared, she went into the living room where several of the guests were and made a beeline for her cousin. She hadn't talked to him since before his mother's death and felt nervous about approaching him.

"Hey," she greeted him.

He said nothing and instead, closed his eyes and turned his head away.

"I'm so sorry about your mom, 'Ro. I know what it's like to lose a mother."

The young man brought a trembling hand up to cover his eyes. "Leave me alone, Yuri. I just… I just need to be alone right now," he whimpered, his lips trembling.

"Yeah, sure." Yuri straightened herself to her full height. "There's just one thing I need to know. Okay?"

He paused a moment, his chest catching. "What is it?"

She eyed him intently. "Your dad thinks you hate the baby. Is that true?"

A listless hand dropped from red-rimmed eyes. "Does it matter how I feel about that useless little thing?"

"Useless little thing?" Yuri was appalled at her cousin's choice of words. "Miroku, that _thing_ just so happens to be your sister!"

Miroku glared up at Yuri. "Sister? Oh, please. Don't make me laugh."

Yuri flinched. She had never heard Miroku, who was normally a sweet and gentle young man, speak so venomously of anyone. "Don't talk like that, Miroku. Not at a time like this." She felt very uncomfortable; everyone in the room was looking at them.

"Why not?" Miroku jumped to his feet. He did not seem to want to mind his tongue as Yuri did. "After all, that _thing_ murdered my mother!"

"You're mad!" The demoness could only stare at her human cousin with horror in her eyes. "What a ridiculous notion! How could you put the blame for your mother's death on a newborn baby?"

"Look, I lost my mom because that little bitch had to come early." He snarled at the others in the room. "That's right, I said it! _That little bitch_— that _thing_ that my parents wanted to keep, even though they knew the risk to my mom's health should she carry it term. It _killed my mother_." He blinked rapidly and the movement of his eyelashes sent tears cascading down his face. "My mom is gone because of her. My mom—" Miroku choked back a sob before tearing out of the room.

A stunned silence filled the living room following Miroku's rapid departure. With a shaky sigh, Yuri sank down onto the chair Miroku had just vacated, with a hand clapped over her mouth. A moment later, Souta and his two elf companions rushed in. "What's happened? What's wrong with my son?" Souta asked the company at large, but his gaze was trained on Yuri.

A visibly shaken Yuri stared back at her uncle and shook her head. Not here, she told herself. Don't break down here, right in front of everyone.

At that moment, standing in the doorway, Uncle Souta looked so much like her mother as Yuri remembered her. Her mom had had large, expressive brown eyes that seemed incapable of concealing her feelings. Her uncle was the same. Seeing him there, looking so much like her mother brought back a deluge of memories, which left Yuri fighting the urge to weep. She desperately missed her mother.

Coming towards his niece, Uncle Souta wanted to know what his son had said. At the same time, however, he didn't want to know. In Yuri's mind, to hurt her uncle was to hurt her mother. She refused to be the one to tell him what Miroku had said about his newborn daughter.

Just then, swooping down like a savior out of the blue, Lady Miranda swept into the room. Yuri nearly sobbed in relief as the elf princess took her uncle by the arm and led him away, her soft musical voice lowered in soothing tones. The emperor and crown prince followed them.

There was a light touch on Yuri's arm, which sent the startled demoness to her feet. She turned and gazed into the warm eyes of Athena.

"Athena," she whispered, her lips trembling. She tried to fight her tears but Athena only shook her head and opened her arms. Yuri went to her without hesitation.

"When did you get here?" Yuri managed after a moment. "I didn't see you come in."

Athena gave her friend a gentle squeeze. "We all came through the portal in one of the rooms upstairs. Mom has offered your uncle to help him with the baby and said she would like to have easy access to her if needed."

"I see." Yuri pulled away and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Then she paused. Wait a minute! _All_? They _all_ came through the portal?

Aloud she said, "_All_ of you? Uh, that is, I mean to say, where's Artie and Juno?" She glanced guiltily away.

The elf's blue eyes twinkled with understanding. It was hard not to smile at her friend's attempt to conceal her feelings. "Yes, _all_ of us. We have just come from the hospital; Mom wanted to check on the baby. Well, she and Ty checked on her. I believe Ty was curious about the baby and wanted to see her, since he hadn't yet. He came away washing his hands and looking quite uncomfortable. Apparently, while he and Mom were looking in on your cousin, she needed to be changed." Athena laughed at the memory. "You should have seen his face as he came out of the nursery! I think Mom made him try his hand at changing her. He is the only one of us kids who has managed to escape the dreaded task of changing Draco's diapers. Anyway, Juno is upstairs with Artie looking at the nursery and changing Draco. It was his first time through a portal and the poor little thing got sick. The last time I saw Dad, he was in the dining room chowing down with Uncle Inu. Men have such large appetites, don't they?"

"And D-Dante?" With some horror, Yuri could feel her face burning. She could barely manage to say his name. _Damn it, Yuri, stop it! Get a grip, for Pete's sake!_ "Where is _he_ lurking?"

Athena only grinned and suddenly Yuri felt a large pair of arms grab her from behind.

"Right behind you," Dante purred in her ear. "How are you feeling, Yuri? Do you still need to cry? Because if so, I have a shoulder you may cry on. Or rather, I have two; you may take your pick. Would you prefer the left or the right?" He chuckled, sending his breath dancing across her cheek.

Of course he would mock her! Bastard!

With a growl, Yuri jabbed an elbow into his abdomen. "You're a jerk, Dante," she snapped angrily. His laughter sent her frustration level even higher and she shoved him away from her. "Don't touch me! Don't you ever dare touch me again!" Her hand itched to strike his amused face, but instead she stormed off leaving his laughter behind her.

Like a petulant child, Yuri hid out in the shrine grounds for the next hour. As she sat with her back against the mighty Goshinboku tree, she scolded herself for her pettishness. She should be in the house with her uncle! But she did not dare step one foot indoors until Dante was gone. Why hadn't the twins or Juno warned her that _he_ would be coming to her aunt's funeral?

Laughter could be heard from inside the house; laughter that never failed to send shivers of delight scurrying up and down her arms. Yuri knew that laugh well. The sound of it was always the same: warm, inviting, infectious. She knew better than to fall for that laugh. He was too practiced in the art of seduction. _Damn you, Dante._

The sound of soft footsteps coming towards her hiding place sent Yuri to her feet. "Who's there?"

"Hey, hey, it's just me!" Athena smiled disarmingly at her jumpy friend and waved her hands in the air.

"What do you want?"

Athena came over and sat down by the Goshinboku. She motioned for Yuri to do the same. When Yuri resumed her seat, Athena pulled her knees up to her chest. "You know," began Athena gently, "you really ought to tell him how you feel."

At her friend's words, Yuri's heart skipped a beat. As it was whenever Dante was mentioned, she could feel her face burn with embarrassment. "What are you talking about, Athena? Tell who how I feel?" Even as she spoke the words, she winced. Her words came out too quickly, too nervously. Seriously, could she be more obvious?

The elf chuckled softly. "You can pretend all you want, Yuri. But I must tell you that it's so blatantly obvious; your feelings for him, I mean."

"I still don't know who you're talking about." Yuri turned her face away from Athena's sharp eyes.

With a sigh, Athena shook her head. "I'm talking of Dante, of course." She turned to look at Yuri. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

A bird, somewhere high above them in the branches of Goshinboku, chirped solemnly. Athena sat back against the rough bark and stared upwards, her blue eyes scanning the tree leaves for a sign of their avian companion.

"Yuri," she said, reaching a hand out to touch Yuri's arm, "why don't you tell him? The two of you have known each other all your lives. Surely it couldn't be that difficult."

The demoness turned her head slightly back towards her friend, presenting the elf with her striking profile. "You have no idea how hard it is," murmured Yuri sadly. She sighed and lowered her head. "Every time we go out somewhere, he is always hitting on some female right in front of me. It doesn't matter what she is; youkai, elf, human. The only thing they have in common is that they're all tiny, petite, delicate creatures that look like they could be blown away by a stiff breeze." She turned to look at Athena, who instantly put her arms around Yuri's shoulders. The elf held her friend close, wishing she could take the hurt that Yuri was so evidently feeling.

Wiping her eyes, Yuri shook her head. "And as you can see, I look nothing like them. I'm a freaking Amazon in comparison. At any rate, he doesn't think of me in any way except as a sister. So it's pretty pointless to tell him anything, wouldn't you say?"

Athena stared off into space for a moment before speaking again. "I think you may be surprised by what he says, Yuri. Why don't you try and—"

"No." Yuri's voice was firm. "I already know what his reply would be. He'd laugh in my face and make fun of me, like he always does. No, I have better things to do with my life than sit around and wait for the man I love to love me back." Yuri knew she had just made a confession, but she was past caring. It didn't matter anymore. She _wouldn't_ let it matter anymore. He would never see her as anything more than a friend, or an extended member of his family. Time and again he had made that much plain.

"I need to find my mother's reincarnation," she continued, getting to her feet. "That is my number one priority right now. Until I accomplish that, I can't even dream of being with anyone. My mother was the most important person in my life. She still is."

After helping Athena to her feet, Yuri returned slowly to the house while the elf remained outside in the growing dark. At the door, she turned in time to see Athena speaking with none other than Dante.

'_Great,'_ thought Yuri solemnly, _'now he knows how I feel and is telling Athena to let me down easy.' _She watched them for a little bit longer then turned and walked away. Everything would be okay. Yes, everything would be fine. She didn't need Dante. Not at all.

ooooo

The next day brought a message from the Slayer Corp. headquarters. Yuri read it and immediately contacted her team, telling them that they would be leaving for South America a month early. Juno was ecstatic; Yuri and the twins, not so much.

The following day, after everything was packed and ready to go, Yuri bid her uncle farewell, promising him that she would come back as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be too quickly. They would be gone for nearly six months.

He waved goodbye as she went through the portal, and she was saddened that she had to leave before seeing her young cousin. But Yuri went, feeling a little proud.

Just before she left, her uncle told her the name of the child.

"It was decided many years ago," he said with a smile, "just after your mother passed away. Haruka and I agreed that if we ever had a daughter, we would name her after my sister." Souta took out a small, wallet-sized picture from his pocket and handed it to Yuri.

With an uneven hand, Yuri took the photograph and stared eagerly at it. On the glossy print was an image of a sweet-faced, rosy-cheeked newborn, whose eyes were still closed. There was a ghost of a smile around the baby's tiny rosebud mouth.

"You named her after my mother?" She continued to stare at the picture with misty eyes and trembling lips. Yuri blinked to clear her vision and two tears, one on either side of her nose, slipped down her face. With a watery laugh, she looked at her uncle's face. "She would have been honored, Uncle Souta, to have meant so much to you. Thank you."

After tucking the precious picture in the inside pocket of her jacket, she embraced her uncle. He returned the hug and she moved away towards the portal. "I'm looking forward to seeing her when I get back. Take lots of pictures for me!"

Souta agreed with a laugh and waved goodbye.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

A week before Yuri and her squad were due to return to Japan, she received an urgent message from headquarters in Tokyo.

It was the middle of the night and they were at base camp deep in the Amazon jungle when a messenger burst into their barracks.

"Lieutenant Tobe," announced a female voice, gently rousing the deeply sleeping Yuri.

"Yes?" grunted Yuri, who was thoroughly annoyed by the intrusion. She sat up and glared at the young woman with hostility in her blue eyes. "This better be a fucking emergency, goddamn it."

The female slayer held a piece of paper out to Yuri. "I'm afraid it is, Lieutenant."

Smooth ebony eyebrows snapped together and Yuri snatched the paper from the woman's hand. "Thanks," she growled and read the missive as the courier silently departed.

Juno and the twins were all awake by now and were sitting up in bed, eyes settled apprehensively on their leader.

"Yuri?" It was Athena.

As Yuri's eyes skimmed over the lines, the other three could see the anger and color drain out of her face. It was replaced first by horror, then heart-wrenching sadness.

"No," whispered Yuri. "No, no, no, please no—"

"Yuri!" cried Athena and Artemis in unison. They scrambled out of bed and rushed to Yuri's side as she covered her face with both hands and began to howl in distress. In her despair, she dropped the letter on her lap.

Athena saw this and picked up the crumpled piece of paper. She had barely finished reading the last word when she too, dropped the paper, and wrapped her arms around her friend. Artemis took the paper and read it quickly before passing it to Juno, who had finally gotten out of bed.

Yuri's uncle Souta had been killed in a car accident; his daughter had been in the car at the time but her condition was unknown.

"We have to go, Yuri," Athena urged gently.

"Yeah, let's get ready to go home," added Artemis as she gave her grieving friend a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll get your things together," Juno said as she pulled Yuri's backpack out from under her bed. To her sisters she said, "Come on, girls. Let's get to it." With the twins' help, she got Yuri out of bed and dressed. In no time, they were out of the barracks and heading to the portal station, the gateway to home.

Since Juno and her sisters were daughters of Commander Sesshoumaru and all three were born into the elven royal family, they each possessed a portal bracelet engraved with the royal family's crest. Such accoutrements prevented them from being searched by guards before entering a portal. However, it took longer for Yuri to obtain permission to pass through, since she possessed no such bracelet. But eventually she was cleared for passage and the four women returned almost instantaneously to Tokyo.

As if reminding them they were no longer in the Elven world, it took them almost an hour to reach the hospital where Yuri's uncle and cousin had been taken. It was there in a sterile waiting room, which was decorated in calming colors that they were greeted by the remainder of the Takashi clan: Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Miranda, Dante, Tiberius and Inuyasha, who held a deeply sleeping infant Draco in his arms.

Upon seeing Yuri, Miranda rushed forward and gathered the distraught young demoness in her arms. "Oh my poor darling!" she cried and clasped Yuri to her sweetly-scented bosom. "You don't know how sorry I am, Yuri. But I'm here for you, darling. Okay? I'm here for you."

But Yuri felt numb and could not fully appreciate the outpouring of sympathy from the elf princess.

"Where is she?" she asked quietly to no one in particular.

"She?" Miranda looked bewildered.

"She. My cousin. The letter I received informed me that she was in the car with my uncle at the time. Is she okay?" Yuri stared dully at the elf princess. Her mind was still trying to process the recent events.

Miranda smiled wanly at her. "Yes, my dear. Come with me." She took Yuri's hand and led her away down the hall.

Juno and the elf twins stared wearily at their male relatives. After a moment, Juno and Artemis trudged off to find some place to sit.

"Well, what happened? How did the accident occur?" inquired Athena, who glared angrily at her sisters. And Juno dared call herself Yuri's best friend? Whatever.

It was Dante who answered. "Drunk driver in a truck ran a red light and slammed into the driver's side door. The crash didn't kill her uncle outright. He passed away here at the hospital."

While her brother was talking, Athena studied his face. Something didn't seem quite right with him, she thought. Dante's face, normally bright, rosy and cheerful, was now extremely pale. He looked shaken; his face, rather pinched, as though he was under great stress.

Then she looked over at Ty whose face, as always, betrayed very little. He looked fine, if somewhat saddened by Souta's death.

Athena chastised herself for being suspicious. Of course they wouldn't look as they normally did! A death of a friend had just taken place. It was only natural to look like this. "I see." She shook her head resignedly. "What a terrible tragedy. Has anyone heard from Miroku? Does he even know about his father's death? Dad?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. He decided to take a seat by Artemis and Juno, both of whom leaned wearily against the other. They were already fast asleep. "Dante called him and left a message on his voicemail, but so far has heard nothing back."

"Where is he? The last I heard was that he had run away from his father's house."

Her father shook his head sadly. "Miroku was so devastated by Haruka's death that on the day of her funeral, he ran away to live with his mother's family. Now his father is gone—" Sesshoumaru rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands. "This is all so tragic. Poor Yuri. I don't know who will become the infant's guardian, but I sincerely hope it will be Yuri. As good a slayer as she is, I feel that taking some time off to raise that baby will be a nice change for her." The Taiyoukai looked to his right and gazed lovingly at his slumbering daughters. "I know you four have been working very hard these past months, and I thank you."

There was a commotion in the hallway behind Athena that grew louder. She turned around to see a short, plump man in a suit bowing repeatedly and speaking ingratiatingly to two men as they strode down the hall.

Inuyasha, with Draco still snoring away on his shoulder, came over to stand beside Athena. The baby jumped slightly in his sleep and Inuyasha began rubbing him gently on the back. "What's going on?" he whispered to his niece.

"I don't know." Athena frowned but it soon cleared. "That's Hiro and Yuki." She bowed to them as they approached her and Inuyasha. "Your highness," she said to Hiro. To Yuki, she gave him a suspicious look. "Crown Prince," she murmured and bowed obediently.

"We have arrived too late, I fear," said the emperor quietly. When the little man in the suit left, he turned to Athena. She was astonished to see the look of desolation in her cousin's face. Without thinking, she enveloped him in a crushing hug. It had been nearly sixteen years since she had seen Hiro shed any tears.

"It is never easy," Hiro whispered miserably into Athena's ear, "when one's dearest friends are human. They have no idea how hard it is for us to watch them grow old and die. Sometimes… sometimes it is simply unbearable." He slipped his arms around Athena and held her close.

It was during this scene that Lady Miranda reappeared and after observing it for a moment, a small smile turned her lips upwards. How sweet, she thought, watching her daughter and nephew holding each other in a warm embrace. Granted, it was due to grief that the Emperor Hiro was clutching onto his cousin like a life line, but Miranda's mind was turned to a greater possibility.

Hiro had always loved her children. As they grew he played and treated them all fairly and indulgently, but Miranda took notice that he seemed to pay particular interest in Athena. Athena, for her part, admired her cousin unabashedly. She had confided to Miranda that she enjoyed talking with him, learning things from him; just being with him made her happy.

Even when she was quite small, Athena enjoyed going to court as Hiro held meetings with the royal counsel. Once, she had broken away from her nurse and snuck into the throne room where Hiro and all his advisors were having a rather heated discussion. But she pushed through the startled crowd in front of Hiro's throne and without hesitation crawled up onto his lap, tucked herself away between the outer layer and inner layer of his robes where she proceeded to take a short nap, much to the amusement of all in attendance.

Even then, Miranda mused, there was something special about their relationship. Both were intelligent elves, practical and loyal, and Miranda had a suspicious feeling that both of them harbored feelings for the other. After all, they were a very well-matched pair. Thank heavens that elves were able to marry within the same family! It was not an uncommon practice for cousins to marry, in order to keep royal bloodlines such as hers pure.

_Ah yes,_ Miranda sighed inwardly. _Now if only Hiro would declare his love for Athena then they would be as good as wed. The elven mating ritual was such a pain in the backside, really it was. But elves lived in a male-dominated society. Whatever. Oh my! Weddings! Such lovely things…_

However, almost as soon as her mother's mind began to turn to lovely thoughts of weddings, she shook herself and sent such dreams into a corner for her to think over later. Now was not the time for matchmaking, she scolded herself sharply. Once the loss of his friend had lessened and time began moving forward again, then there would be time for other things.

With a gentle clearing of her throat, she broke the silence. Hiro and her daughter drifted apart and Miranda was left feeling a trifle guilty, albeit greatly satisfied. For the look on Hiro's face when he released Athena seemed to be one of disappointment.

"Hiro," Miranda said in an appropriately mournful tone, "I'm so glad you could come. Your retainer told me that you couldn't get away for quite some time." She held out her arms to him and—just as he had always done since he was a tiny elfling—he came over to her and allowed himself to be hugged.

"When Yuki found out, he came and told me," Hiro told her, moving out of his aunt's arms. "I'm afraid I was a little busy at the time, but I came as soon as I was informed. How is Yuri? I trust she has already been notified."

"Yes." Miranda nodded. "She is in the room now with her uncle. They were waiting for her, which is why they haven't taken his body away—" She stopped speaking when Hiro's face darkened.

"And the child?" he asked, straightening his shoulders. "How is the little girl?"

Miranda smiled. "She is just fine, my darling. Would you like to go in and see her?" She turned and began walking off down the hallway.

"If you don't mind." Hiro followed her but stopped her before she entered room on the left hand side of the corridor. "Before we go in, could you tell me what the child's name is? I don't want Yuri to think that I'm completely ignorant of it, even though I am. Sadly, I never had time to visit Souta and his daughter before… well, before now."

Instead of a reply, Miranda opened the door with a smile and bade him enter. The emperor went into the room.

Souta lay on the bed and to all, appeared to be asleep. But his skin was waxen and grayish in appearance. Hiro knew without a doubt that he was viewing his dear friend's remains.

"Oh Souta," he whispered, his breath hitching in his chest. He moved over to the side of the bed and took one of the cold, lifeless hands in his. "I wish I had been with you during your last moment. At least I would have had a chance to say goodbye."

Hiro's head turned when Yuri began to cry again. She was sitting in a chair and he could see that she was holding a sleeping infant in her arms.

"So do I," she said through her tears. "So do I."

For a long moment, Hiro watched Yuri as she carefully repositioned the baby in her arms so she wouldn't awaken. In her sleep, the baby yawned and stretched before opening her eyes.

Hiro and Miranda both leaned in to get a better look at the baby.

"Every time I see her, she gets more and more precious," cooed Miranda.

Unable to contain himself, Hiro asked Yuri what the child's name was. He glared at his aunt as he put the query to Yuri, irritated that Miranda made him look silly.

For the first time since he had last seen her, Yuri smiled up at the elf emperor. "Her name is Kagome," she told him proudly. "Doesn't it suit her?"

"Kagome." Hiro sat back, his mind in a whirl. His thoughts flew backwards in time, back when a dark-haired, dark-eyed girl with special powers wriggled her way into his heart and those of his brothers. A girl he and his brothers would have done _anything_ for. "May I hold her?" he asked quietly, holding out his arms.

Yuri nodded and handed the baby to him. Kagome was a very well behaved baby, she thought happily. The nurses said that when she was brought in with her dying father, Kagome seemed to take everything in stride and shed no tears.

"She's perfect," he said with a wavering smile. "But I heard she was in the car at the time. How is it that she is not hurt?"

With a shake of her head, Yuri shrugged. "I have no idea but it's a miracle, is it not?"

Miranda agreed heartily. "It is indeed! I was told that when the two of them were brought in, Kagome's little outfit was covered in blood, and it looked as though she had been bleeding. But when the clothes were cut away, the E.R. staff found nothing wrong at all with her. Even after she had had been thoroughly examined, inside and out, they found nothing. Very odd, wouldn't you say?"

"Decidedly." Hiro handed the tiny girl back to Yuri. Little Kagome had taken very little interest in him; she hardly gave him a passing glance. But she appeared to be exceedingly interested in Yuri, for her eyes never left the young demoness' face.

There was a quiet knock on the door of the room and a young female nurse entered. In solemn tones, she said that it was time to take the body away just as two young men entered the room with a rolling gurney. At this, Hiro rose and moved to stand by his aunt and Yuri, who held Kagome close to her made sure that the little girl's face was turned to her chest so as not to see her father's lifeless body being moved. With the utmost care, Souta's body was transferred to the gurney and the two men left the room, with the gurney between them.

Once the grim procession had gone, the nurse turned to Miranda.

"The hospital administration has deemed it acceptable if you take the child until one of her relatives is located."

Miranda stared at the woman oddly. "What do you mean? This young woman _is_ the child's relative. One of the closest, I might add." Gently she touched Yuri's shoulder.

The nurse looked from Yuri to Kagome and back again with a baffled expression. "But, I don't understand. Forgive me," she said with a bow, "but I thought you were youkai."

"I am youkai," Yuri said calmly. "This child's father and my mother were brother and sister."

The nurse apparently didn't understand; either that or she did not believe Yuri, and she turned to Miranda and Hiro for confirmation. "But—" she began uncertainly and Hiro put up a hand.

"What she says is true," he informed the young nurse. "I myself was present when this young lady's mother gave birth to her."

"So was I," chimed in Miranda.

Hiro continued. "If you still do not believe this, compare a blood sample of Kagome and Yuri. You will find that they are indeed related."

The young nurse looked rapidly between the three adults before her, apparently at a loss at what to say. At last she said, "I will find a doctor to order a blood test then, in order for this to be proven." She bowed low to Hiro before adding, "And I do realize that you are an important person, sir, but I must follow hospital rules."

Hiding a smile, Hiro nodded. "I understand. Thank you for all your hard work."

The nurse quickly departed and Hiro finally let loose a chuckle. When his aunt asked him what was wrong with him, he shook his head.

"Nothing, Aunt Miranda. I just couldn't help but be amused by this situation." To Yuri he said, "Don't worry, my dear. The hospital shall release the child to your care."

At this, Yuri smiled somewhat tremulously at the emperor. "I certainly hope so. It would make me happy to be given such a wonderful responsibility." As she spoke, a look of surprise crossed her face and she laughed softly. "And now, my responsibility is to change her. Please excuse us." She got up and left the room to look for a nurse and a diaper.

The moment Yuri departed, Hiro's face darkened. "I can see how much she loves that little girl. My only hope is that Souta has appointed her as Kagome's guardian."

"Do you think he hasn't?"

Hiro shrugged. "I have no idea. But for Yuri's sake and for Kagome's, I certainly hope that he was farsighted enough to do so."

oooo

Two days later, Yuri found herself sitting in dining room of her uncle's home. Other people were there as well for the reading of Souta's will: Lady Miranda and her mate Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, the Emperor Hiro as well as Yuki, much to Yuri's dismay. Souta's son Miroku was quite conspicuous by his absence.

The lawyer, who had been checking his cell phone for messages, looked up at last. "I see that you are all here. Thank you for coming." He glanced down at the papers in front of him. "I shall make this as brief as possible, since the emperor is a busy man," he said and began immediately. "The majority of the testator's monetary wealth, the house and shrine, as well as the property it sits upon, will be split evenly between the son Miroku and the daughter Kagome. However, there is a small building on the property, one that contains a well."

Inuyasha, Hiro and Yuki looked sharply at each other.

Obviously unaware of the importance of the well house, the lawyer continued blithely on. "That building contains a few articles which belonged to your mother, Miss Tobe." He glanced up at Yuri. "You may keep whatever is in that shed. Now, as to guardianship of the child," said the lawyer as he began gathering up his papers to put into the manila envelope from which they had come, "the testator's infant daughter shall, until her twenty-first birthday, be under the guardianship of Yamadera Yuki. That is all."

The deafening silence that followed the lawyer's words brought that individual to attention. He looked at the semi-circle of pale faces and frowned. "I hope I made everything quite clear? The child is to—"

"You made everything very clear." It was Lady Miranda, who had just grabbed Yuri's hand once the announcement of little Kagome's guardian had been made. Yuri's face was a mask of disbelief and grief. Miranda's heart cried out for this gentle young woman who had lost her beloved aunt and uncle, and was now losing her cousin whom she already had come to see as her own.

"Surely there must be some mistake," Yuri whispered. Her chest hurt and worse, she could feel those awful, vindictive green eyes on her. She had felt them since those dreadful words had been said aloud, just before she had turned to look at Yuki. He had been staring at her hard; first in surprise, then the surprise turned to satisfaction and those venomous green eyes glittered in such a way that she could see his nasty little mind working. It would be sweet revenge, would it not? Oh yes, such sweet, long-awaited revenge.

'_You took away something I loved and now I will take something you loved. Tit for tat,'_ was what those triumphant emerald eyes were saying to Yuri.

"No, I'm afraid not. Higurashi-san's will was clear. Yamadera Yuki would be the child's guardian until her twenty-first birthday." The lawyer rose and eyed Yuri with compassion, even in his hurry to be gone. "I'm sorry, Miss Tobe. But your uncle did not want you to be burdened with raising a child at your young age. He felt that your career should come first." He smiled at her reassuringly before he departed, but Yuri did not feel the least bit reassured. Instead, she felt hurt, angry and cheated. She did not like that her helpless little cousin would be in the hands of such a low life, snake-in-the-grass elf.

Swallowing her pride, Yuri turned to look at Yuki, who had already risen to his feet. The exultant look on his deceitful, yet pretty face made her stomach turn uncomfortably. "You will allow me to see her, won't you? After all, I am one of the few relatives that she has left."

Seeing this proud youkai beg filled Yuki with such glee that he wanted to make her squirm and beg for more. He held the key to her happiness; anyone could see that, and he visibly reveled in it. For a long moment, he simply studied her, savoring the moment. The longer he said nothing, the happier he grew. In those blue eyes that he had come to loathe—_Kouga's blue eyes_— Yuki saw the fragile light of hope die little by little.

In the end, Yuki simply shrugged. "Who knows? Perhaps I might. We'll see how I feel." He made as if to walk away then paused before adding, "Give the child to my aunt. I would like to get her settled by this afternoon. Also, don't try to take me to court to get the child back. If you do, I shall move the child and myself to the Elven realm where no human court of law can touch me. On second thought, I've decided that you'll only see her on my terms. I don't trust you not to run away with her." With one last glare at Yuri, he spun around and left the room, leaving Yuri bursting into tears.

Miranda did her best to comfort Yuri, but with no success and she vowed to have a word with him. Hiro too, promised to speak to Yuki but even his word did not have any effect on Yuri, who continued to sob bitterly. But at last she managed to get herself together enough to ask Miranda to accompany her to her home, so she could start packing up little Kagome's things.

When they arrived at Yuri's house, Athena and Artemis were waiting by the front door. They had been babysitting Kagome while she had gone to the reading of her uncle's will. As soon as they opened the door, the twins rushed out and hugged Yuri, telling her over and over again how sorry they were and what a jerk their cousin Yuki was being. Overwhelmed by their concern, Yuri thanked them, then asked to be left with Kagome alone for a little while, so she could tell her goodbye.

"Don't think that way, Yuri," pleaded Miranda. "He won't keep her away from you. I'll make sure of that."

But Yuri could not be dissuaded and she went upstairs to pack Kagome's things.

ooo

"She's been an awful long time," remarked Artie. She sat behind her twin, who was seated cross-legged on the floor and braided her long blond hair. Their mother was sitting nearby in an armchair, perusing a fashion magazine. Nearly an hour had passed since Yuri had gone upstairs. "You don't think she's run off with the baby, do you?"

Miranda turned a page of her magazine. "No. Just let her be," she said softly. "That poor child! Being torn from that precious baby like in such a harsh manner! It's very unfair."

Athena regarded her mother solemnly from her spot on the floor. "You know, Mom," she said, "I don't think Yuki will let Yuri see Kagome at all, no matter how much she pleads with him."

The elder she-elf glanced sharply over the top of her reading material and stared at her daughter. "He had better," she said crisply, "or I will bring hell down around that pretty golden head of his."

But Athena knew that of the rift between Yuri and her cousin Yuki and she knew how deep his hate for Yuri ran. Yuki was well aware that Yuri had been instrumental in her mother's choice of husband and he knew too that Yuri did not like him, nor did she trust him. Of course he would feel cheated and was fully prepared to take his revenge. It stood to reason that the more he could hurt Yuri, the more satisfaction he would feel.

"I'm going upstairs," Athena announced suddenly. She jumped up the moment her twin's hands let go of her hair.

"What's wrong? Don't you trust her?" inquired Artie curiously.

"It's not that," replied her sister. "She was in a pretty solemn mood when she went up. I just don't think she should be alone at a time like this. I don't want her to feel alone."

The twins' mother agreed. "You're right, sweetheart. Go make sure Yuri is okay."

Athena left her mom and sister and headed up the stairs to the second floor. She turned down the hallway until she reached Yuri's bedroom, where she had set up a temporary nursery for the baby. The door was open but Athena knocked anyway, tapping her knuckles lightly on the doorframe.

"Yuri?" she called out softly.

"Yeah." Yuri's voice sounded distant, thoughtful.

The she-elf leaned over and peeked into the room. She smiled sadly by what she saw. Yuri was lying on her left side across the center of her large bed, her head propped up on her left arm. Right in front of her was Kagome, who was on her back and staring with wide-eyed fascination up at her cousin. With the index of her right hand, Yuri was tracing invisible lines all over the baby's face and torso.

"That is so cute," whispered Athena, who moved closer to the bed.

Yuri smiled. "She is the sweetest little thing I've ever seen," she said in an equally quiet voice. Her finger ceased its motion for a moment as Kagome shut her eyes tightly and yawned mightily. "This is really relaxing for her," Yuri continued. "It's making her sleepy too, but for some reason she seems to be fighting sleep. She just keeps staring at me."

Athena too, smiled. "Kagome probably knows how much you love her. Babies can sense those things, you know."

The demoness' smile wavered then vanished. "I hope Yuki can put aside his hatred for me in order to care for her properly and give her the love she needs," she said gravely. "But I honestly don't believe that he has the ability to love anyone but himself."

The elf came over to sit beside Yuri's legs and reached out to touch the baby on the foot. "You needn't worry, Yuri. Mom said that she would make Yuki allow you to see her or else."

Yuri shut her eyes for a moment as she rested the palm of her hand lightly across the baby's chubby little belly. "Tell your mother thank you for me, but I know what I know, Athena. His hatred for me is so great that he will do anything, use any weapon against me that he can get his hands on, in order to hurt me. After today, I will never see Kagome again and I know this with absolute certainty."

Feeling her heart break, Athena watched as Yuri turned her head and buried her face against the mattress as she began to cry. Yuri's right hand curled around the baby's body and gently pulled her close to her chest.

"This is killing me, Athena! I can't let her go," sobbed Yuri. "She has so little family left and I am the only one who wants to care for her. How can I just hand her over to someone wants her only to get back at me? It isn't right."

Silently Athena agreed that the situation was unfair, egregiously so. But even so, Yuri was bound by the law of her dead uncle's people to hand the orphaned child over to her legally appointed guardian.

"I know, sweetie," she said soothingly, rubbing her hand up and down Yuri's bare arm. "But right now, there is nothing you can do."

Yuri's sobs grew in intensity and Kagome's little face registered upset. When she began to cry too, Yuri's head came up off the bed and stared down at the wailing infant.

"I'm sorry!" she cried and picked the baby up. When Kagome refused to stop crying, she rocked the whimpering child for awhile. "I'm sorry," she said again and kissed the top of the baby's head. "I never meant to make you cry, little one. There now. Are you better?"

Apparently satisfied, the baby hiccupped, sighed, and then snuggled comfortably against Yuri's chest. Tears still clung to Kagome's little lashes and with a pair of chubby little hands, she wiped them away.

"Perhaps she's hungry," murmured Yuri and glanced up at Athena, who shook her head.

"No, Artie fed her just before you and Mom returned," she said.

"Oh. Thanks."

"Sure." Athena studied Yuri and the baby for a moment. "If it's any consolation, Mom said she would force Yuki to allow you to see Kagome. And if he won't listen to her, don't worry. Hiro would do the same. He cares a great deal about you, you know and he and Mom can be as thick as thieves. They've had to deal with Yuki much longer than any of us have."

The forlorn look in Yuri's eyes made Athena wish she hadn't brought up the subject at all.

"Your cousin is a hateful, spiteful creature. Every time he looks at me I am reminded of that fact, although I need no reminder. He would do anything in his power to make me suffer and my uncle's will, as well-meaning as it may be, is just a feather in his cap. Yuki will never allow me to see her again; at least until she turns twenty-one, when by then she will be old enough to tell him to go fuck himself."

Athena had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. "Maybe they will get on well together," she offered hopefully. "He might become a wonderful father figure for her."

Yuri did not look the least bit hopeful. "Sure. If that's the case, then I might explode and shoot spiced gumdrops and blue canaries out of my ass."

This time Athena did laugh, which considerably lightened the mood.

"But I will find a lawyer to help me contest the will," continued Yuri gravely. "If there is one thing I know for sure, it is this. Yuki will never, ever treat this baby as well as she deserves. He is far too selfish and too bitter to be a good parent. Besides, he won't know what a wonderful treasure he has."

The tone of Yuri's voice gave Athena pause and the she-elf stared intently at her friend. Yuri's eyes held a faraway look while her arms tightened around little Kagome ever-so-slightly.

"Of course she is a wonderful treasure," said the elf. "Kagome is a lovely child."

"That isn't what I mean," Yuri said. She looked at Athena as her eyes studied the elf's face hard. "You're a bright girl," she said quietly. "Haven't you figured it out yet?"

But Athena shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid I haven't. What is it that I am supposed to have figured out?"

oooo

Downstairs, the Lady Miranda and Artemis sat, staring at each other as they waited for Athena to return. The only sound in the living room was the sound of Artemis as she chewed on some gum.

"She's been an awful long time," remarked Artie casually. Her mouth moved again and a quick succession of snaps followed.

Miranda sighed. "For the last time, would you please stop popping your gum? The sound hurts my ears."

"Sorry." Another snap. Artie said: "What if Yuri has run away with the baby?"

The elf princess rolled her eyes. "Don't be absurd, dear. Of course she hasn't." She looked down at the magazine in her lap and contemplated looking through it again.

"Well, what if she has? And what if Athena helped her? That could be why those two haven't come down yet?" More snaps followed.

"Artemis!" Miranda burst out, irritated.

"Sorry!" In defiance, Artemis swallowed her gum whole. "There! Happy now?"

There was a sigh of relief from the elf princess. "Yes, much better, thank you." Miranda went back to her previously perused magazine. "And no, Athena wouldn't do such a thing. Neither of them would. Don't talk nonsense, Artemis. Between you and your gum, I'm getting a headache."

Artie opened her mouth to make a retort when the sound of footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Miranda and her daughter rose when Yuri and Athena came into view. In Yuri's arms was a sleeping infant Kagome while Athena toted a couple of baby diaper bags.

Miranda glided over to Yuri and gave her a gentle hug from the side, so as to keep from disturbing Kagome. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this," she said gently. "I don't know if Athena told you, but I am willing force Yuki into allowing visits for you if he cuts up rough. That boy has a penchant for behaving like an ass and making himself thoroughly unpleasant to all. And if worst comes to worst, Hiro will deal with him. Hiro is very good about getting Yuki to go along with pretty much anything, even if he doesn't like it."

At this, Yuri gave a feeble attempt of appearing optimistic. She wanted to believe Athena and her mom, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that this would be the one time Yuki would refuse to listen to them at all.

Resignedly, she handed the sleeping child over to Miranda. "Of course," she said politely. "Would you please tell Yuki to take good care of Kagome? She is a very special little girl."

Miranda nodded and said that she would. Artemis opened a porthole for them as Athena turned to Yuri and gave her a hug.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" she asked. Athena was worried for her friend. "Because I will."

But Yuri shook her head. "I'll be fine. Go with your mom and sister. Make sure your rotten cousin has given her a decent place to sleep."

Athena smiled. "You bet. See you tomorrow?"

Yuri shrugged. "Maybe," was her reply. "I'll let you know how I feel." Then she stepped back and waved at the three women. Miranda and Kagome went first, followed by Athena and Artemis. As soon as the latter disappeared inside, the portal vanished and Yuri was left alone.

The silence in her living room was deafening. Just yesterday she had imagined Kagome all grown up and the two of them would be sitting in this room together, watching television or talking and laughing while having tea. While she bottle fed Kagome with some warm baby formula, she strolled around the house, telling Kagome what certain things were and which things would be safe for her to play with. Yuri had imagined a life with Kagome in it, a life where she would bring up the little girl all by herself; a life where it would be just the two of them.

Just as it had been before her mom's death.

Grief bubbled up to the surface and Yuri dropped to her knees on the floor.

"What am I supposed to have figured out?" Athena had asked her.

In her anguish, Yuri covered her face as the conversation with Athena replayed in her mind.

"Look," said Yuri. She lifted up the left side of Kagome's tiny shirt and raised her plump little arm out of the way.

Athena stared at the side of the baby's torso for a long moment. "You're shitting me," she whispered, eyes opened wide in astonishment.

"I'm not, as you can plainly see," replied Yuri and tugged the shirt down, covering the baby's side. On Kagome's left side, beneath her arm, was a small, star-shaped birthmark.

The elf shook her head. "I don't believe it. The resemblance is too great to be a coincidence."

"The resemblance is more than great. This is the same birthmark my mother had, Athena. _The very same one._ I should know; I'd seen it often enough, especially when we went swimming or to the hot springs."

There was silence for a few minutes before either spoke.

"Wow," said Athena, still somewhat shaken. "This baby is your mother's reincarnation. Heavy."

"Yeah, no kidding. I've waited a long time for her to come back," Yuri said with a sad smile, "only to have her taken in by the same man who was in love with her." The smile faded and Yuri gripped Athena by the wrist. "You can't let him know who this baby is, Athena."

"But why not? If Yuki knew who his ward was he would treat her like royalty."

"No, you can't! If he ever found out, how long do you think it would take him to get her brainwashed into believing that he is the only man for her? And how long do you think he would wait before getting her into bed with him? I'm sure he'd wait as long as legally possible, but that's not the point. Look, I won't allow her to become even more vulnerable to him than she already is. She may have loved Yuki once, but it was _my father_ whom she wept for at night; she only ever wanted to see him again. According to her, my father had sworn to her—right before his death, no less—that he would come back and search for her. She believed that until her dying day, Athena, and I know he would have kept any promise he ever made to her."

"I hate to play devil's advocate here, but how do you know Yuki wouldn't figure this out by himself? I mean, they knew each other for several years before she mated with your father. How can you be sure they never slept together? Or at the very least, how can you be sure he is unaware of her special birthmark?"

Yuri snorted derisively. "Oh please, I think you give that fool far too much credit. Remember this, Athena. Yuki is _not_ Hiro. Hiro is highly intelligent while Yuki has the intelligence of an egg roll. But I will give him points for being vindictive. He's very good at being vindictive. Besides, Mom said she never slept with him, nor did she let him see her sans clothing. Hiro and Akira saw her semi-naked a few times, sure. But not Yuki, seeing as how he was the biggest pervert this side of the Pacific. Those were her very words, by the way."

"I see." Athena chuckled. "Your mom had a great sense of humor. It must be where you get it from."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Yuri glanced over at the digital clock beside her bed. "I think I'm ready now. There's no sense in delaying the inevitable." With that, she got up. "Could you grab the diaper bags? There's only two."

After Athena had retrieved the bags, the two descended the stairs. Handing over the baby had been a wrench enough to Yuri, but know that it was her mother's reincarnated self she was handing over to Miranda to be taken to Yuki… That hurt tremendously.

Now loneliness was setting in and Yuri felt more miserable than she had since her mother's death. "I'm sorry, Mom," she said as she sobbed bitterly into her hands. "I'm sorry I failed you! I only hope we will be able to see each other again. Gods, I miss you so much!"

The only sound in the house now was the wailing of a very heartbroken wolf.

A/N: Omg, what a chapter! It was like pulling teeth trying to write it! Grr! But I shall try to do better next chapter. ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Inuyasha & Co. does not belong to me. All OCs in this story do, however. Please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

A/N**: If you have not read Chapter 2, then please do not read further than this author's note, as this is Chapter 3!**

In my infinite wisdom, I had decided to post the prologue to this story first and all by itself, forgetting that the chapters being posted would automatically be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. This of course meant that my real Chapter 1 would be labeled as Chapter 2. This also meant that I would end up confusing myself even more than I already am. Therefore I did what I should have done in the beginning: the Prologue and Chapter 1 have been combined and are now titled as Chapter 1. Please forgive me for the inconvenience!

RSB

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chapter 3

It did not take long for Miranda and Athena to see the ugly side of Yuki once he had the orphaned Kagome in his control. Just as Yuri had predicted, he refused to allow the infant's cousin any visitations. As a consequence, the elf twins—accompanied by their mother— cornered Yuki in the foyer of his house.

"Do you honestly believe I'd let that wolf bitch anywhere near me?" he cried as he cowered against the wall. "Don't be ridiculous! You both know how she feels about me. One day she might snap and try to attack me. Then who would care for the little brat?" He saw that Athena's face had turned an unnaturally bright shade of red and Yuki was filled with self-satisfaction; so much so that he could scarcely keep the smile off his lips.

An uncharacteristically angry Athena glared at her cousin. "You are one of the most vile, detestable bastards to ever grace this planet! I hope you die, you wretched little maggot!" she shrieked in his smug face.

"Kick his ass!" cried her twin enthusiastically.

Her mother had to hold her enraged daughter back. "Now, now, girls," Miranda said calmly, "there is no need to lower yourselves to his level. It's unseemly. Please behave like the civil young ladies I raised you to be."

"Fuck that!" Athena cried and proceeded to administer a well-placed kick to her cousin's nether regions while Artemis cheered her on uproariously. The smug grin was instantly replaced by a mask of sheer agony and Yuki was brought to his knees as muffled curses spilled from his lips.

Miranda could hear her nephew call her name and beg for her help, but the elf princess merely drew her blood-thirsty daughters away. "Now Yuki," she began calmly, "you brought this upon yourself, you know. It is also quite unseemly for the Crown Prince of the Elven realm to behave like a shameless asshole. But then, you've always been a bit of a shameless asshole, haven't you?"

Yuki stared up at his aunt in disbelief. Did she seem to be a bit exultant at his treatment at the hands of her daughters? "That's a very harsh assessment coming from you," he muttered, feeling very hurt by her words. "And here I was thinking that you looked rather kindly upon your eldest nephew."

"If you keep behaving like an asshole to _that child_, I might not even acknowledge your existence at all," she proclaimed sharply. "You were brought up better than this, in spite of having a worthless mother."

The twins glanced at each other. That their mother held no warm feelings toward her own twin sister was not news to them. They themselves were not exactly fond of their Aunt Rini either. Their aunt was an oddity for she was an icy being who existed in a world of warmth.

Yuki, knowing full well that his aunt was correct about his mother, ignored her last remark. "Now look," he began as he got gingerly to his feet. He winced at the very uncool ache between his legs. "All I want is for you to understand my side of things. Do you have any idea what _that child_ has done to me?"

This time it was Artemis who spoke up. "We already know how it is with you," she said, getting in his face. Her appearance was drastically different from that of her twin sister, Yuki thought to himself unnecessarily. While Athena was very feminine in appearance, she preferred to wear her hair long, either unbound or pulled back into a ponytail. Lately Artemis' appearance had grown more masculine, more tomboyish. Her blond hair was only recently cut very short; it was now in a pixie style which showed off her delicate elven ears, of which were fixed with several hoops and one industrial piercing in her left ear. And of course, there were the tattoos— but that was another story. He supposed that she had grown weary of looking exactly like her sister, who in turn looked exactly like their mother.

"You've had a bee in your bonnet ever since Yuri's mom gave you the brush-off," Artie was saying in her usual, tactless manner. "And Yuri could always spot a loser a mile away, which was why she helped her mom decide on Inu. I heard that Yuri's father had a great instinct for trouble. It seems that was another thing he passed on to his daughter. Aw, what's the matter? You look a touch green about the gills."

The look on Yuki's face was darkening by the second. Balling up his fists, he forced himself to step away from Artie. "If that was supposed to persuade me to let that wolf bitch see the brat, it didn't work. But you _did_ manage to make me mad, however," he said, his voice menacing. As if to prove his point, tiny flames popped up all over his body. His eyes glowed in the firelight and his hair seemed more golden than usual. "Get out of my house right now before I show you three just how angry I can get."

His aunt looked shocked at his threatening words while Athena appeared a bit uncertain. Artemis, however, cracked her knuckles before closing the gap between them once more.

"Are you threatening my mother and sister?" she asked incredulously. "Sorry, but that just isn't going to happen. So you want a fight, huh? Well bring it on, big man." To prove _her_ point, she lifted her right hand to shoulder height, palm up. Over her palm materialized a swirling ball of water. "I don't think you're in a position to threaten anyone, Yuki. Here, let me put you out. You look a little hot under the collar." The ball of water shot forward, dousing Yuki full in the face. His flames were instantly extinguished.

"Son of a bitch!" he cried, hurriedly wiping the water from his face. _That shit was fucking ice cold! _Damn, he was pissed! Somehow he managed to forget that Artie and her twin were elemental elves, just like himself and Hiro.

"Now then," said Artie, "when can Yuri come to see her cousin? I'd like it to be today, if you don't mind."

"I do mind," snapped the wet elf irritably.

This time the ball of water was bigger, colder and for some reason, painful. Yuki clung to the nearest wall, furious and sputtering vile oaths at his cousin. When he wiped the water from his face with the back of his hand, he saw that there were little streaks of blood that smeared his hand. Damn it, he thought as he wiped his hand on his clothing, she used little shards of ice to cut him.

"Fucking bitch," he muttered unkindly.

Artie cocked her head at him. "What was that?" she asked sharply.

"Nothing," he replied resentfully. In the end, he relented, promising to let Yuri see the little girl whenever she chose. "The only thing I ask is that I be present when the visit is taking place. I don't trust her not to run away with the baby."

His aunt agreed to his terms. "Fair enough," she told him with a smile. "Thank you, Yuki. You're back in my good graces. Aren't you pleased?"

Muttering something unintelligible— and no doubt impolite— Yuki took himself off to change out of his drenched clothing. By the time he reached his bedroom, he was feeling better about Yuri visiting the brat from time to time. For some ungodly reason, the kid did not like him much. If he tried holding her to calm her down or carry her from place to place, she would push at him or start crying. Maybe the wolf bitch could calm the rugrat down.

oooo

It came as no surprise when, a few hours later, Yuri came to his house that Yuki was proven correct. The child had been crying like a little banshee when her cousin walked into his living room. Yuri made a beeline for baby and when she picked her up, the baby ceased its relentless wailing.

For the next couple of hours, Yuki's tender elf ears were allowed a much needed a respite. How Souta and Haruka could appoint _him_ guardian of a baby, he had no earthly idea. If he'd been in their place, he would have chosen someone—_anyone_—but him! He was the _last_ person who should be put in this situation, although he did slightly understand why they did it. Their son had not been acting favorably towards their coming daughter, so he could not be entrusted with her care. Souta had been worried about his niece having to end her career in the Corp., so she was also excluded. The only people that Souta would have trusted were Yuki and his brothers, but Akira—_who had been his favorite among them when he was a boy_—was too unwell to care for a baby. Hiro was also unavailable, having been elevated to position of emperor. This, of course, left Yuki.

'Fate _would_ do this to me,' Yuki bemoaned his luck silently to himself and continued to watch as Yuri played with the little girl on his living room floor. His gaze rested on them for a moment, then turned to the three she-elves who were also in the room with them and he winced when he made eye contact with them. For a long moment, all three glared at him as though he were the lowest form of criminal.

Really, he thought with a huff, how insulting! Of _course_ he wouldn't do a damn thing to Yuri! What would be in the good in that, after she'd managed to single-handedly calm the brat down and cease that incessant howling? The child's instant silence upon seeing Yuri was alone worth its weight in gold.

Instead of the crying, he was treated to gurgling and laughter from the little girl while Yuri acted a fool entertaining the tiny human. To Yuki, it appeared that Yuri truly enjoyed being with her young relative and the sight of them together sent a pang of guilt shooting through him. He knew without a doubt that Yuri would have gladly given up her position in the Corp. to take care of the child.

He leaned forward and took his half-empty pack of cigarettes from off the coffee table. After he lit up with a small flame that sprouted conveniently from his index fingertip, he pulled the heavy glass ashtray towards him from the center of the table. His aunt and the twins had repeatedly hounded him to stop smoking, at least when Kagome was in the room, but damn it this was _his_ house! Like fuck he'd stop for a rugrat who had been thrust upon him.

The baby's laughter broke into Yuki's thoughts and he stared back down at the two on his living room floor. Yuri was on her hands and knees, playfully scooting backwards from Kagome, who was crawling frantically towards her and laughing with delight.

"Oh no, Kagome's going to get me!" Yuri cried with pretend horror.

Kagome lurched forward a bit unsteadily and made a grab at Yuri with one pudgy little hand. The three elf women laughed with mirth as Yuri continued to evade Kagome, whose dark eyes never left her older cousin's face.

"Mom?"

Miranda tilted her head towards Artemis but did not look at her daughter. "Yes, dearest?"

Artie leaned towards her mother and in a lowered voice said, "Have you noticed how Kagome never looks anywhere but Yuri's face?"

This time, Miranda did turn her head to look at her daughter. "Yes, I noticed that too. Huh." She turned back to glance at Yuri and Kagome playing on the floor. "I wonder why that is?" She shrugged and smiled. "Ah, well, I shouldn't wonder too much about it, dear. Babies tend to prefer looking attractive faces."

"But then she should be looking at all of us in this room," countered Artemis. She stretched out lazily beside her sister. "Because let's face it, we're all good-looking. What?"

Her mother and sister were both staring hard at her. Even Yuki gave her an odd look from his seat across the room.

Artemis frowned at her mom and sister. "I'm not being arrogant, you guys," she said defensively. "You know as well as I do that I'm stating a fact. Every adult in this room is highly attractive. At least physically," she amended quickly as she shot a hostile glance across the room at her cousin. Yuki scowled darkly back at her. "Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes.

While her sister and mother returned angry glances back at Yuki, Athena sat quite still, thinking and watching Yuri and Kagome play on the floor together. A glimmer of an idea had already formed in her head and she continued to dwell on it. If what Yuri said was true and her infant cousin was in truth, her mother reborn, then it would stand to reason that Kagome would find Yuri's face so appealing.

After all, didn't Yuri look just like her father?

oooooooooooooooooooooo

More time passed; too quickly for Yuri's liking. Kagome was now a big girl of seven years and much to Yuri's delight, the older she grew, the more the little girl looked like her mother. Well of course she would. Was she not her mother's reincarnation? Of course, being reborn as her brother's daughter helped, seeing as how she was able to keep her looks and family name the same. The child was a delightful little thing, with black hair and dancing dark eyes and Yuri could not imagine her life without her.

Yuki, by some divine intervention, had actually allowed Yuri to tuck Kagome into bed at night whenever she was home from assignment. It was a special time they shared together— and they were very special to Yuri—for Kagome loved it when her cousin read stories to her.

Whenever Yuri arrived at Yuki's home just after spending weeks, sometimes months abroad, she could see a small face full of excitement, peering down from the upstairs landing. Every time she was fresh from assignment, as she was tonight, Yuri felt pure elation at seeing Kagome again.

"Yuri!"

Yuri tilted her head back to see Kagome leaning down over the railing, her long dark hair falling over the banister. "Hello my baby," was always her reply, and she bounded up the stairs straightway, taking the steps three at a time as she always did. The little girl ran to her, threw herself into Yuri's arms and attached herself to the she-wolf's neck, refusing to let go until she was set down on her bed.

"How was your day? Did you get hurt?" were the questions Yuri was always asked when she had just returned after long absences. It touched her how concerned Kagome was for her safety.

"Oh, sweetie, don't worry so much. I'm fine."

Kagome's small face did not look so certain. "Are you sure? You could be hurt and I wouldn't know because you're wearing clothes."

As if on command, Yuri would roll up her sleeves and pant legs for Kagome's inspection. "See? Not a scratch. How's that? Do I pass muster?"

At her words, Kagome would always reply with a giggle, "No, but could you pass the ketchup?"

The first time Yuri heard Kagome's reply, she was confused. A laughing Kagome had to explain the joke to her. Feeling suddenly foolish at being made fun of by a mere child, Yuri groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh, I get it. It sounded like I said must_ard_, instead of must_er_. Ha ha, very funny. Are you done laughing at me?"

But now the muster/mustard joke was standard procedure and after that was taken care of, Kagome would demand a story and jumping down from her bed, she grabbed Yuri by the hand and led her to her bookcase, which was well-stocked with books. After a long moment deep in contemplation, Kagome would choose one and hand it to Yuri. "This one," she'd say and lead her cousin back to her bed. There she would slip obediently between the sheets and wait patiently as Yuri situated herself comfortably beside her. When they were settled, Yuri would begin to read.

As she read, Yuri would take little sidelong glances at Kagome. Just as she had when she was a baby, Kagome would always stare at her, watching her cousin with utter fascination. Not even when there were pictures in the book did Kagome break her gaze. She just continued to gaze up at her.

On this night when she had finished Kagome's chosen literary piece, Yuri just had to ask what it was about her that was so interesting to Kagome. When she posed the question to Kagome, the little girl cocked her head to the side and gazed thoughtfully up at her cousin.

"I don't know," she replied quietly. "All I know is that I like looking at you."

"Yes, I see that, but why?"

After a tremendous yawn, Kagome smiled sleepily up at Yuri. "Looking at you makes me happy all over. I don't know. You're special to me, Cousin Yuri. I love you more than anyone else in the world." She lifted her arms to Yuri, who scooped the little girl up into her arms and held her close.

"And I love you more than anyone else in the world too, baby. Remember that, okay?" Yuri kissed Kagome's dark head before laying her back down on the mattress. Kagome's eyes were struggling to stay open but Yuri shook her head. "Don't fight it, little one. Go to sleep."

Kagome tried to shake her head, but could not manage it very well. "No," she replied faintly.

"Why not?" Yuri asked and with the tip of her index finger, she began to trace invisible lines all over Kagome's face. This method was always guaranteed to put Kagome out like a light.

"Because you'll be gone when I wake up and I don't like it when you leave." Kagome's eyelids were losing the battle. "I… don't want you to ever leave."

As Kagome's eyes shut at last and her body relaxed, Yuri ceased her fingers movements and got up slowly from the bed. "Trust me, little one, neither do I," she said to the sleeping figure. After pulling the sheets up to Kagome's chin, Yuri turned on her nightlight and headed for the door. Just as she stepped out into the hallway, she was startled to find Yuki leaning casually against the wall just outside the door. Damn elves, she thought sourly. They were so silent, even to youkai ears.

As usual, he looked cool and elegant even dressed as he was in the long velvety robes that were the trademark of his race. Odd, though, for no elf ever wore his robes outside the elven world. Since she had grown up in that place, Yuri had come to find out that their clothing was specially made. Yuri knew that they held some sort of power although she knew not what it was.

"Yuki," she said in a tone that was a trifle icy.

"Yuri," was his response, which was equally cold. His eyes too, held no warmth. But then, they never had whenever he looked at her.

Yuri frowned. She did not like the tone of his voice. Even though he had been good enough to allow her to see the little girl whenever she wished, Yuri still did not trust him and she could sense that he still did not care for her one bit.

"Yes?" she asked warily as she flipped Kagome's bedroom light switch to the off position and closed the door behind her.

Turning, the elf indicated for her to follow him downstairs, which she did. They ended up in his study where she could see evidence of the beginning of an all-night alcohol binge. So, she thought as she gave the room a quick once-over, he hadn't changed at all.

His study, when it was tidy, was rather impressive. He had a large mahogany desk that was situated near the windows, whose blinds were drawn. To the right as you went into the room were two large bookcases set against the wall, and next to them was a glass case in which two katana blades were on display. Yuri knew the blades well; one had been Yuki's combat sword from his days in the Slayer Corp. and the other was a decorative sword that her mother had given him once for his birthday. On the other side of the room was a large flat screen television, which hung over a cold and empty fireplace. There was a matching sofa and love seat, both done in smooth black leather. Yuri could not resist sniffing the air over the sofas; she _adored_ the scent of leather.

Bottles of liquor were lined up neatly on the wet bar that was located past the sofas, in the left hand corner of the room, which stood near his desk close to the windows, and he grabbed the first one that came to hand. Not surprisingly it just so happened to be Yuki's favorite imported liquor: Jack Daniels. He poured out a glass which emptied the bottle. He then went behind the bar and disappeared for a moment before popping up, a new bottle of Jack in his hand.

"How much have you had to drink today?" she asked quietly. This had been one reason why Yuri had disliked the elf from the start. He had been a bit of a heavy drinker when he had courted her mother and her mom hadn't really approved of his habit. The smoking they could both have dealt with, since her mom had the occasional cigarette—just not the drinking.

As he lit a cigarette with his forefinger—seeing as how he could command fire to spring from his body at will— he eyed her balefully. "Why do you ask? Are you my mother now?" he asked sharply and blew on his fingertip, extinguishing the tiny flame.

"No, but I just—"

"Then don't be rude to your host by pointing out his faults," he told her in a tight voice. "It isn't polite."

"I didn't mean to come across as impolite," she said.

"But you did anyway." He drank deeply from his glass and refilled it immediately. "You always were an impertinent child. Rude, that's what you were. A rude, despicable, deceitful child." Another drink from his glass emptied it. "I suppose you're an adult now so it couldn't hurt to tell you to your face. I fucking hated you. Still do." He poured out another glass.

If she had been anyone else, his words would have stung. But she wasn't anyone else and besides, she'd known the fact for years. "I know," she said simply. "And I have never cared much for you either. You are reprehensible and not fit to care for a pet rock. Heaven only knows why my uncle left you in charge of Kagome." When he gave her a dirty look, she merely shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I supposed you were an adult, so I figured it couldn't hurt to tell you to your face," she replied to him in a mocking voice.

"I'd kill you if I could."

"Bring it."

Yuki glared at her, his eyes glassy and full of hate. "A fight with you is not what I want now. What I _did_ want was to have a little chat with you," he said, his words slurring slightly. With a steady hand, he wrapped his long fingers around the neck of the empty whiskey bottle.

"Oh yes?"

"Shut up. I'm not done."

Yuri rolled her eyes. "Well make it fast because I want to get home to bed. I just got back from South America today, you know."

His eyes narrowed and she could see those evil green orbs glitter. "I overheard your little conversation upstairs. It was touching."

"What of it?" Yuri's belly tightened at the sound of his voice. Something bad was going to happen, she thought nervously. She could feel it. Was there a threat coming her way?

"So she loves you more than anything in world, huh? Charming." His knuckles turned white as his grip on the neck of the bottle tightened.

Why was he getting so upset? It wasn't as if he really loved the little girl. Concerned, Yuri frowned. "Why shouldn't she love me? I love her and she knows that. Children know those who truly love them. Besides, I'm all she has left in the world. It's only natural she would become attached to me."

There was a cracking sound as the bottle neck broke and Yuki pulled his hand away. On his palm, Yuri could see shards of glass embedded in his flesh. But if he was in pain, he showed no sign of it. Instead, he brushed his hand against his shirt to wipe away the glass, put out his cigarette between his fingers and proceeded to light another one.

"You seem to have forgotten something." He exhaled and the smoke curled lazily around his fair head.

"And what is that?" Yuri walked over to the longer of the two couches and leaned against the leather-bound back.

A ghastly smile curved the elf's perfect lips. "You are not the only one she has in this world. She does have a brother, if you recall."

Yuri could not help but roll her eyes. "So? If Miroku hasn't shown up after all these years, do you really think he's going to now? We both know that he has no interest in the child and he doubtless ever will. Furthermore, don't even say that he's come for a visit while I've been gone, because Kagome would have mentioned it to me. There's no need to take me for a fool, Yuki."

Yuki was silent for a moment, but that was only to take a long drink from his glass. "And of course, there's me," he said, setting his glass down carefully on the bar counter.

A chill shot up and down Yuri's spine when she heard those words. He didn't love Kagome! He couldn't! At least, he'd never shown any affection towards her as she did, and Yuri adored that little girl. "You're drunk," Yuri said at last and this time her voice held a tinge of anger.

"Yes, you're right, I am," he admitted with a wave of the hand that held his cigarette. "But I know what I'm talking about… and so do you." When he saw Yuri's dark brows come together, Yuki smiled. "As I said, it seems that you have forgotten something else, my dear. I _am_ Kagome's guardian and I'm afraid that title holds some weight here."

Yuri's body came off the leather sofa back. "You arrogant prick! Of course I haven't forgotten what you are to her. You are merely her caretaker until she gets old enough to care for herself—"

It was at this juncture that Yuri paused before she continued. For a split second, she felt that it would be unwise to finish her sentence but she was consumed by her anger and dislike of the Crown Prince Yuki. But that was not enough to hold her tongue.

"—and come to me, where she _truly_ wants to be," she said with finality and not a little smugness. "Just like me when I was a kid, I did not trust you either."

It was nothing to Yuri's youkai reflexes to dodge the empty Jack Daniels bottle when Yuki flung it at her head. The bottle struck the mantle just above the fireplace with a loud shattering sound, which was quickly followed by the tinkling sound of glass shards falling to the floor.

But before either could say a word, a sobbing cry could be heard from upstairs. Yuri's eyes immediately sought Yuki's face, which had grown quite grim. She knew that he had also heard the word Kagome had cried out.

_She had cried out for Yuri._

Just as Yuki snarled at her to stop, Yuri was out the door and once in the foyer, leapt from the ground floor straight up to the second floor landing, easily clearing the railing.

"Kagome!" she cried and flung the little girl's door open.

A small projectile hurtled itself at Yuri and clung to the demoness with all its might.

"Yuri!" Kagome sobbed. "Yuri!"

Pushing her earlier premonition about Yuki to the back of her mind, Yuri turned her attention to the tiny human girl who held her in a death grip. "Hey now," she murmured gently at Kagome while trying to ease the small arms from around her waist. "Come here, baby." She lifted the weeping child up into her arms and held her. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" she asked, giving the child a kiss on the head.

For the moment, all Kagome could do was nod and hold tightly onto her cousin's neck.

Yuri smiled against Kagome's hair. Nothing in the world compared to what she was feeling right now, she thought contentedly. Not even her most vivid fantasies involving Dante were nearly as satisfying as this. If the world ended tomorrow, Yuri would die happy because at this moment she was experiencing the feelings of being wanted, of being needed, of being loved.

"I'm right here," she whispered in Kagome's ear as she rocked the child gently. "It's alright now. I'm here, baby. I'm here."

The sobbing soon ebbed, then cease. At last Kagome spoke.

"Don't leave," she pleaded in a quiet voice. "Promise me you won't leave, Yuri."

Yuri's eyes slid closed for a moment. It hurt immensely to hear Kagome pleading with her like this. "You know I can't make that promise, Kagome. Your guardian won't allow me to stay with you, remember? We've been over this before, sweetheart."

But Kagome shook her head. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

Kagome's body tensed. "I had dream, Yuri. It was a bad one." She pushed herself away from Yuri and stared solemnly up at her. "I dreamed that you died on your next mission."

The look on Kagome's small face unnerved Yuri; the little girl looked very much like her mother at that moment. In an attempt to be lighthearted Yuri quipped, "I'm hurt, Kagome! And here I was, thinking you had confidence in me." She smiled at her cousin.

But Kagome did not smile in return. "I don't know if you will really die or not. But when I woke up, I had this feeling like I would never see you again." Tears filled her big brown eyes and her lips trembled. "Don't leave me, Yuri!" she cried as tears spilled down her plump little cheeks. "Please don't go away again! I don't want to lose you!"

It took Yuri a long time to soothe Kagome enough to go back to sleep. When at last she emerged from the little girl's room and went downstairs, she heard nothing stirring in the house. Not even one spiteful elf. That in itself was very eerie, since elves could move silently and had no scent to announce their presence. She went to Yuki's study and looked around, but the drunken elf was not there. Where on earth was he, she wondered. Again the feeling of unease crept up her spine.

As she went into the kitchen, the sound of a door shutting caused her turn around and she walked back down the hall into the foyer. At first she wondered if it was Kagome's nanny coming in from her night off. But one sniff told Yuri that she had not returned yet.

Her eyes glanced around. The door to Yuki's study was now closed and light could be seen under the door. The sound of glass clinking on glass could be heard and the television came on.

She went over to the door and knocked. He called out for her to enter and she opened the door.

"Where were you?" she asked him, pushing the door open all the way. As she had the first time, she glanced warily around the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary here.

With his long legs crossed at the ankle and plushy pillow propping up the top half of his body, Yuki lay length-wise across the longer sofa, a glass full of Jack in one hand and a cigarette burning between the fingers of the other. The remote to the television was lying on his lap, along with a pack of expensive cigarettes. The bottle of whiskey he had poured out from earlier sat within arm's length on the glass-top coffee table, as was a glass ashtray.

Staring at down at him, her heart skipped a beat. It was an unwillingly action on her part, of course, but it skipped nonetheless. Since she was a child, Yuri understood why her mother had had such a difficult time turning down Yuki's marriage proposal. The elf that now lay before her was truly one of the most beautiful men Yuri had ever laid eyes on. From the careless way he laid on the sofa to the questionably clean gray sweatpants he wore only seemed to enhance his enormous sex appeal— for the man _was_ sexy. She would be a fool to dismiss that fact. Even so, Yuri had been unable to feel comfortable around Yuki, despite his exceptional looks and elegant manners. While he had undoubtedly been passionately in love with her mother, Yuri knew without a doubt that he hated her with equal passion.

And now, at this very moment, he was proving it once again. He did not bother hiding the look of loathing as he gazed up at her.

"Yes? What are you creeping around for?" he asked as he took a sip of the amber liquor in his left hand. "I thought you were gone already."

"Where were you just now? I searched for you but couldn't find you."

The elf chuckled mirthlessly. "Damn. Can't a man take a shit in the privacy of his own home?" he asked her, taking a deep drag of his cigarette.

Even though this vulgar explanation was entirely probable, Yuri did not believe him. Although elves moved in silence, toilets did not flush in silence. She easily would have heard a toilet flush in this peculiarly quiet house. But she did not want to start a fight right now and she wanted nothing more to seek the comfort of her own bed.

"Sorry," she said abruptly. "I just wanted to let you know that I was leaving."

Smoke streamed from his nostrils in an angry puff. "Good. Bye," he snapped and turned his attention to the television.

She scowled. Jackass, she thought to herself. Aloud she said, "I'll be back tomorrow. I promised Kagome I would take her to the park."

The elf on the couch said nothing but he did emit a sort of snorting noise that told Yuri he had acknowledged what she had just said. But she really did not want to rile him up any further so she turned and left, letting herself out of the front door.

As she headed for her car, the sound of a lock being shot home forced her to turn around. In the dark she could see the front door to Yuki's house. On both sides of the door were long, vertical windows that equaled the height of the door. In the window to the right of the door Yuri could see a tall figure standing there, staring out at her.

It was then that it struck Yuri. Before Kagome had cried out for her, Yuki had been clad in his robes. But afterwards, the elf wore nothing but sweatpants and a nasty attitude.

A strangely disturbing thought filled Yuri's mind. Yuki's bedroom was also on the second floor, just down the hall from Kagome's room. Had the elf, while on his way to his room, overheard Kagome talking to her? He hadn't used the toilet as he claimed, for she would have heard it. So why then should he be lying to her so blatantly?

This bothered her greatly but Yuri was not certain why it should. But she did know one thing. If Yuki _had_ overheard their conversation, he would not have liked it if his reaction to their first little chat had been anything to go by.

The figure in the window vanished and a cold hand seemed to grip at Yuri's heart. Something wasn't right, she thought as she continued on to her car. As she slid in behind the wheel, Yuri hoped and prayed that she and the girls would be allowed to some time off before being sent back for another round in South America.

oooooooooooooooooo

After Yuri awoke the next morning, she dragged her half-dead corpse out of bed and found a very weary squad waiting in her living room, their bags packed and dressed in their travel uniforms. Artemis and Juno sat side by side on her couch while Athena stood behind Juno, braiding the latter's long white hair.

"What in the bloody fucking hell is this?" demanded their leader irritably. She eyed her kitchen balefully, desperately wanting a cup of coffee but not sure if she should wait on that.

Juno, who was filing her nails, looked up at Yuri and yawned. "We got an urgent message from headquarters this morning," she murmured sleepily. "We gotta go back to South Am." To top off the bad news, she waved an envelope at Yuri, who saw the word 'Urgent' in big red block letters stamped on the front. "We all received one. This one is yours," she said unnecessarily.

The dread Yuri had felt the night before now enveloped her a hundred fold. "What? But why? We just got back! Hell, we were promised at _least_ a month off!"

At this, Artie tut-tutted. "Oh c'mon, Yuri, don't be naïve. You know how the Corp is. They promise you one thing then turn around and do another."

Shaking her head, Athena chuckled. "I hate to remind you that our father is the one in charge of the Corp, Artie." She tied off her sister's plait before checking her handiwork. "Normally he's the one who's pulling the strings."

"Yeah, but that still doesn't change the face that we just got screwed out of our time off," remarked Juno pettishly while she regarded her newly filed nails with little interest. "But I do agree with you, Yuri. They could've given us _at least_ a week."

"Hey, don't be so bitter, guys," Athena said cheerfully. "Think about it this way. Our commanding officers feel so confident about our skills that they feel they can use us whenever the need arises."

"Dude," Artie said. She rubbed her eyes drowsily and said, "Seriously, Athena, your level of chirpiness should never be allowed. _Ever_. In fact, it should be made illegal at this time of day."

Putting away her nail file, Juno sighed. "Sure wish they didn't need us so much. Even youkai get exhausted."

Yuri sighed too. "Well," she said at last and ran her fingers through her sleep-mussed hair. "I guess I'll go get dressed and pack my things. But before we leave, there is one thing I have to do."

"What's that?" Artie asked.

A small smile turned her lips upward. "Say goodbye to a very special little girl."

Athena smiled gently at her friend. "Sure, Yuri. Hey, I'll come and help you pack. That way you'll get done much faster."

As Yuri returned to her room to get ready with Athena right behind her, Artie turned to look at her big sister. Juno's face looked like a thundercloud.

"You know," said Artie casually, "I know how jealous you get, Juno. But to be jealous of a seven-year-old girl? That's a bit bizarre, don't you think? I mean, sheesh. She's just a kid."

The look on Juno's face darkened even more. "I have absolutely no fucking idea what you're talking about."

Artie stared at her sister for a minute then burst into laughter. "You try so hard to hide it, don't you? I really wish you'd just stop pretending." When Juno refused to answer, Artie shook her head. "Look, we all know about the affair you had with Yuri. Oh, I know it was long ago before you two went through basic training, but we knew."

In an attempt to control her anger, Juno looked down at her nails again. "I can't believe you're bringing this shit up." She heaved a sigh. "If you must know, we had an experimental one time fling. That's all. It was one night that happened a long time ago and neither of us thinks about it anymore."

"When?" Artie asked a little forcibly.

"The night we graduated from basic. We were completely wasted we were at the time but that's how it started."

"I see." Artie leaned back against her chair. She did not know what to believe, but she supposed she could ask Yuri for confirmation. "Did you initiate that one-night stand? I don't think you two would have gotten so trashed that you wanted to sleep with each other. But then, I know how jealous you can be. Did you do it because you knew of Yuri's feelings for Dante? 'Cuz she's in love with him. Like, head over heels in love with him."

Juno's head whipped around so fast that Artie was whipped in the face by a braid of silvery white hair. "Will you shut up about this? Please, for god's sake, stop talking about it." Crossing her arms over her chest, Juno looked away. "Of course I know how she feels about Dante. Don't you think I would know that? I've seen the way she looks at him when he's not looking at her."

Artie rubbed her face where Juno's hair had hit her and studied her big sister's scarlet-stained face. "You fell for Yuri, didn't you? You fell for her and never got over it." She didn't really know if Juno fell in love with Yuri or not; she just wanted to pester her. One couldn't really tell what Juno's true feelings were even though she behaved like such a prima donna and liked for everyone to pay her their full and undivided attention. This was the most likely reason why Juno was so pissed off with Yuri. Yuri, although she was a kind-hearted demoness, was just as hard-headed as Juno. She would not allow—_and had never allowed_—Juno to monopolize all of her time and attention.

"You don't know what you're talking about so just drop it, Artie."

"But then why do you get so impatient with Yuri when she wants to see the child? She's just a little girl who has no family to speak of and is forced to live with that cold-hearted cousin of ours."

Juno heaved an impatient sigh. She knew Artie's tenaciousness wouldn't let the subject go. "Uh hello, I was like this long before the kid came along, you big dummy. Look, if you must know I hate being ignored and I refuse to play second fiddle to anyone."

"No!" gasped Artie, mock tragedy displayed all over her face.

"Fuck you," snarled Juno. "Yuri and I have been friends since we were infants but I've always felt like a third wheel whenever Dante was around. I can't tell you how I hated that. He monopolized her every time she and I played together…" Juno looked down at her lap, her yellow eyes somber. "He always took her away from me. All I ever wanted was to have her to myself for a little while. Then of course there was her infernal search for her mom's reincarnation and now there's this kid. It's not fair."

Artie was touched by what Juno had said and reached over to hug her sister. "Hey, just out of curiosity, did you enjoy it? Your little one night stand, I mean. I've never been with a woman so I can't compare it to anything I've experienced."

A secretive little smile crossed Juno's face and her eyes glowed. "I loved it," she admitted. "But then, I've always been physically attracted to Yuri. However," she added as guilt crept into her facial expression, "my attraction to her began when I first saw her father's statue as a child."

Artie looked puzzled. "What? Her father's statue? You mean the one that Hiro and Dad had sculpted for Yuri's mom?" She stared hard at her sister's bowed head. "Oh my god," she whispered as it dawned on her. "You had a thing for Yuri's father? But he's… he's dead!"

"Will you keep it down?" Juno squeaked and slapped a hand over Artie's mouth. "Damn it, girl, do you want Yuri to hear this?"

"_You had a thing for Yuri's father?"_ Artie repeated and this time, she mouthed the words. Her blue eyes were open wide with pure astonishment.

Embarrassed, Juno covered her eyes with her hand. "Damn, I wish I hadn't said anything," she chided herself. "I had a thing for his statue, yes, I will admit to that. Now, I know that sounds really weird. How do you think _I_ felt? It was a statue, for fuck's sake!" Juno's gaze slid away and she stared into space with unblinking eyes. "Whoever did the statue did a really remarkable job on it. It looks so life-like." She sighed. "Yuri's dad was so incredibly good-looking and that man had the sexiest pair of legs I have ever seen."

Feeling suddenly uncomfortable at her sister's guilty admission, Artemis pulled away slightly and eyed her sister with trepidation. "Hey, I've seen pictures of Kouga-sama and yes, I'll admit he ranked high in the hotness category. But to be attracted to his daughter simply because she looks like him? I don't know what to say to that, Juno, except that it's a little creepy. Not to mention way uncool."

"Hey, I didn't mean to be attracted to him," Juno retorted defensively. "It just sort of happened." Her face grew even redder and she jumped to her feet, moving away from the sofa and her uber-nosy sister. "Did you even listen to me? Stop talking about this! If you keep it up, I'm going rip your scrawny neck to shreds."

"Just answer me one thing, Juno, then I will leave it alone."

"What?" Juno's upper lip was curled back, exposing very sharp white fangs.

"Are you a bi-sexual female who's in love with Yuri?"

Juno narrowed her eyes at her sister. "That was two questions, Artie."

Artie screwed her eyes up to the ceiling in a thoughtful expression. "Uh, no it's one question with two parts. So it qualifies as one question."

"On what basis?"

"On the basis that you love me," Artie shot back, beaming her most angelic and charming smile at her big sister. To add to her cuteness, she blinked her big blue eyes in the most innocent manner she could manage.

The elder Takashi sighed heavily and covered her eyes with one trembling hand. She wanted so badly to slug Artemis in the face, but when the she-elf looked up at her like that… well, she just couldn't.

"Fuck you, Artemis," growled Juno miserably. "Yes. Yes, I am bi-sexual and no, I am not in love with Yuri. I love her only as a friend. Are you satisfied now?"

Artie sat back, satisfied. "Yes, thank you. I won't bring up the subject again."

"Thank you."

The younger female watched as Juno slipped out onto the balcony for a smoke. The demoness appeared to be much shaken and Artie wondered if she had done the wrong thing by forcing her sister to make such an enormous confession. After watching Juno smoke for a few minutes, Artie felt guilt creep up into her throat. She _had_ done the wrong thing by forcing Juno to answer her question about her sexuality. That should have been confessed on her sister's own terms and not forced from her in such a ruthless way.

Artemis got to her feet and joined Juno on the balcony, which was a decent size. It was large enough to contain some patio furniture, namely a small wrought-iron table with four matching chairs. "May I?" she asked, indicating Juno's pack of smokes which sat on the railing at her elbow. Inwardly, she promised herself to stop prying into her sister's private life.

With a curt nod, Juno handed over her lighter.

Artie took it with an uncomfortable chuckle. "If Athena was out here, all she'd have to do would be to stick out her hand," she remarked as she flicked the Zippo open. Taking a deep drag, Artie closed eyes for a moment. When she opened them again she looked over at Juno, who was staring silently out over downtown Tokyo.

"I'm sorry, Juno."

Juno did not look at her. "For what?"

"For making you admit that you're bi. It was wrong of me and I apologize." When Juno did not respond, Artie reached out and touched her sister's shoulder lightly. "Please say something. I want to know how you feel."

The words did not seem to come easily to Juno, who appeared to be struggling with the right thing to say. Artie remained silent, patiently waiting for her sister's response.

"I don't know how I feel," Juno said at last. "Lately I've been feeling pretty confused."

"What about?"

With a shrug, Juno shook her head. "I didn't want to say anything to anyone but I'm surprised Athena hasn't pinned me down and made me talk about it the way you're doing now. But then, Dad has only just spoken to me about it."

"About what?" Artie demanded again, forgetting to keep her insatiable curiosity at bay.

But Juno only shook her head and turned to the small table on her right. She stubbed her cigarette out in the square glass ashtray before going back inside the apartment.

oooooooooooooo

Two hours and a half later, the four women arrived at Yamadera Yuki's spacious and comfortable home in the suburbs. Yuri, who was driving, pulled up into the drive way and shut off the engine. "I'll be right back," she said to the other three. "Or would you rather come in with me?"

The elves said they would accompany Yuri inside while Juno said she would wait in the car for them to return. The other three acknowledged this and left.

Yuri knocked on the door and after a minute the door was opened by a plump middle-aged woman. "Yuri-san!" cried the young woman and smiled up at Yuri. "Please come in, come in!"

"Thank you, Akako-san," Yuri said graciously. "I believe you know Yuki-sama's cousins?" With a wave of her hand she indicated Athena and Artemis, who stood behind her. "This is Akako. She is Kagome's nanny."

She stood back to let the three females enter. "Yes, of course. How do you do?" Akako shut the door and quickly took Yuri's arm. "You must come up and see Kagome. Yuri-san. She's been in a state since she woke up this morning and has been begging me to send for you!"

"Of course. I'll come right away." Yuri turned to the elves. "Did you want to come upstairs with me?"

Artie made as though to follow but her sister grabbed her by the arm and held her back. "No, go ahead and attend to Kagome. We'll wait here for you."

Yuri nodded and left with Akako towards the staircase, but their progress was halted by a plaintive cry from the second story landing. All four women turned their eyes upward to catch sight of a small head sticking out over the railing.

"Yuri!" cried Kagome. "You came!"

"Baby!" Yuri answered and was about to dash up the stairs when Kagome pulled herself up over the banister. Yuri's eyes flew open. "No! Stop! What are you doing?" she cried, horrified as Akako and the elf twins gasped in unison behind her.

"Catch me, Yuri," Kagome called down just before she jumped.

Akako screamed and fainted when Yuri caught the child deftly in her arms. While the elves attended to the unconscious woman, Yuri was torn between setting Kagome down and giving her a severe admonition or simply holding her close.

She chose the latter.

"Why on earth did you do that?" Yuri asked when she could speak again. Her mouth had gone dry with fear when she recalled seeing her precious Kagome climb onto the railing. She kissed the side of Kagome's dark head and squeezed the little girl gently. "You scared me to death, baby."

"I wasn't scared," Kagome told her quietly. "I knew you would catch me and wouldn't let me fall."

It was hard not to smile at those words, Yuri thought as she looked into her young cousin's face. "By rights I should turn you over my knee and spank your backside for pulling such a dangerous stunt," Yuri muttered. "But it makes me happy, knowing you trust me that much." She pressed her lips against Kagome's forehead. "Do me a favor, huh? Never do that again, baby. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. You _are_ the only family I have, you know. It would kill me if I lost you."

Kagome looked up at Yuri with a wondrous expression. "I love you, Yuri. You are the only family I have, too." Her expression grew serious. "If something bad happened to you, I think I would die."

By now, the elf twins had roused the nanny, whose face was extremely pale. "How is she?" she said, her voice cracking.

"She's fine," Yuri said and turned around so that the poor woman could see Kagome being held protectively in her arms.

Akako nodded and smiling with bloodless lips, she fainted dead away again. Four pairs of eyes stared down at the nanny for what seemed a long time, until Artie heaved a sigh and bent down to grab the human female.

"Athena? You wanna give me a hand here?" she asked.

Athena obliged and the two elves carried the woman to the living room and set her on the nearest couch while Yuri and Kagome watched the proceedings from the foyer.

"Cousin Yuri?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"You're not angry with me are you?"

Yuri was a little taken aback by the query. "What makes you think that I'm angry with you?"

Kagome opened her mouth as though to speak and as she did so, her eyes look quickly about the foyer as though searching for something. Instead of speaking she shrugged and shook her head. The expression on her small face looked a little odd and to Yuri, it seemed that Kagome had wanted to tell her something…

She glanced about them to see what Kagome was looking for, but she saw nothing.

"What's the matter, little one?" she asked, setting Kagome down on her feet. As she did so, she noticed the direction Kagome was staring and turned to look. It was the door to Yuki's study. Yuri stared hard for a moment at the closed door. "Where _is_ your guardian anyway?"

Again Kagome shrugged but this time she grabbed Yuri's hand and pulled on it to lead her away. The demoness allowed the little girl to drag her along and they did not stop until Yuri found herself in the backyard at Kagome's swing set. "Now then," began Yuri, who got down on her knees so she was close to eye-level with Kagome, "what's all this secrecy about?"

But Kagome did not reply for a long time. While Yuri waited for an answer she sat on the ground, tailor-style. Kagome got on a swing and began to move back and forth slowly, the toe of one foot digging in the ground. Several minutes had gone by when Kagome opened her mouth to speak. Yuri leaned forward.

"When are you leaving?" she asked Yuri sadly. "Today?"

The demoness would have been taken aback by her cousin's questions, but then she looked down and saw she was wearing her field uniform. Seeing Kagome's face and hearing her sweet little voice sound so miserable, Yuri felt her chest ache as it always did before she said her goodbyes to this tiny girl who adored her.

"Yes," Yuri admitted. "I'm sorry, baby. I thought we were going to be given a month off but apparently it was revoked. We only found out this morning."

"I see." Kagome flipped her foot up and kicked a small clump of dirt into the air. Her eyes were downcast and Yuri could already detect the scent of tears.

She pulled Kagome to her just as the little girl's tears began to fall. "Hey, none of that now," murmured Yuri consolingly. "I won't be gone forever. You know I always come back to you."

But Kagome shook her head. "No, you won't," she sobbed bitterly against Yuri's neck. "I won't ever see you again."

"Yes, you will, baby. You can count on that. Did you think you can get rid of me so easily?" Yuri tried to sound light-hearted but it only made Kagome cry harder.

"Please," begged Kagome and she hiccoughed, her thin little chest heaving rapidly with the onslaught of her emotions, "please don't leave me!" Her voice was raised to a near scream and this left Yuri extremely concerned.

"Kagome, you know I have to go. It's my job," she told the wailing child in her arms. Comparing her reply to Kagome's pleadings, her answer sounded lame to her ears. All of a sudden, a rush of helplessness swept over Yuri and she had no idea how to handle this situation. It was funny, for she had always seemed to know exactly how to dry Kagome's tears. "Sweetheart, please don't cry. I'll be back soon. I promise."

However, the more Yuri tried to soothe Kagome, the more overwrought the child became and it soon became clear that no amount of promises would stem the flood of tears. Kagome clung to her neck and Yuri, afraid to hurt her if she tried to remove the little arms from their death grip on her neck, continued to hold Kagome to her. Not knowing what else to do, she stood up and began making her way back to the house with the crying child in her arms.

Halfway back, Yuri was relieved to see Athena and Artemis making their way towards her. Perhaps one of them could calm Kagome down?

Then, through the pleas and tears, Kagome's words changed and Yuri felt a whole other set of emotions.

"If you stay, I'll be a good girl, Yuri! Please! I won't make Yuki-sama mad at me anymore! I promise to be good, just don't go away!"

The helplessness melted away and in its place came confusion, followed quickly by anger. This time, she did not hesitate to push Kagome away and stared intently at the red, tear-stained face. "Yuki got mad at you? When was this? For what?" She could not believe what she was hearing, for Yuri knew that Kagome was the gentlest, best behaved child anyone could have wished for. Could Yuki hate her so much that he would stoop so low as to take his displeasure out on a child?

Any reservations that Kagome had seemed to have had earlier, vanished instantly and everything came spilling out. "He hates me!" she cried. "Every time he looks at me I feel like I've done something bad. I don't want to stay with him anymore, please! Please take me with you! Don't leave me here!"

Speechless, Yuri glanced over at her friends, who appeared to be equally incapable of talking. She wanted to comfort Kagome but at the same time she wanted rip Yuki's head from his neck.

But Kagome sensed Yuri's unbridled rage and stared at her with terror in her eyes.

"There, there my precious one," Yuri automatically cooed at Kagome. "I'm not upset at you. Come here." And with that, she once again pulled the girl to her. "Don't cry, beloved. Don't cry." She rocked Kagome gently as she had when latter had been a baby.

Over Kagome's head, Yuri sent the elf twins a fury-filled stare. Outwardly, Yuri appeared quite calm and collected but inwardly she was seething with such hate as she had never before experienced. _'I'll kill him,'_ she mouthed at the twins, for she knew they had heard every word Kagome had imparted to her.

Artie appeared to be pretty agitated, and shook her head in disgust while Athena could only stare back at Yuri uncomprehendingly.

"But he swore," she began with a disbelieving shake of her head. "He swore he wouldn't mistreat the child."

Yuri gave a derisive snort. "And you believed him?" she asked the she-elf incredulously. Although her fingers itched to rip open Yuki's stomach and remove his innards, Yuri's hand tenderly smoothed Kagome's ruffled black hair. "Every word out of his mouth is goddamn lie. That guy is nothing more than filthy snake." Yuri gritted her teeth. Desperately she wanted to let loose a verbal tirade on the bastard, but she did not dare let Kagome hear any words harsher than what she had just spoken.

The sound of a phone ringing startled the group.

"It's mine," said Athena and answered it. She listened for a moment and hung up. "We have to go," she said as she slipped the sleek bubblegum pink device back into its holder on her waistband. "Sorry, Yuri."

"Damn it," muttered Yuri under her breath. Then to Kagome she said: "Hey baby, I have to go now."

Kagome, who had only just regained her composure, shook her head vehemently. "No!"

Unsure of what to say to her agitated relative, Yuri tilted her head back and stared intently up at the sky. It was a lovely day, and the cloudless sky above was a pristine blue. She inhaled and a mass of different odors assaulted her sensitive nose. Yuki's backyard was the source, she knew. He was an elemental elf who had command of both fire and earth, so it was only natural to conclude that the reason this yard/garden/Kagome's playground, was due to the fact that Yuki had the power to make plants grow bigger and better than if they were tended to by mere humans. To tell the truth, Yuri admired him for his gift of gardening, for it had become a hobby of his since her mother had passed away.

_Her mother…_

Gods above, how she missed her mother.

"I don't want to leave you," she told Kagome gently, "and I would stay here with you if I could, but my job needs me. I don't like it but there is nothing I can do about it." She rubbed her cheek against Kagome's head. "Forgive me, Kagome. I'll be back as soon as I can. Okay? I promise."

This time, Kagome did not cry. Instead, she raised her head and stared sadly at Yuri, her entire face sagging in resignation. "Okay," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Seeing Kagome quiet acceptance of the situation disturbed Yuri more than she ever wanted to admit. Disturbed her and frightened her a little as well for Kagome was very open about her feelings with Yuri. Whatever she felt, she shared it with Yuri. With her, nothing was ever held back.

By the time the four arrived back in the house, they found Akako up and about. She took Kagome from Yuri and followed the three slayers to the front door so Kagome could wave goodbye to her cousin. When Yuri turned around one last time to look at Kagome, she could barely hold back her tears. Kagome was standing at her nanny's side with such a look of hopelessness on her face that Yuri very nearly told the elves to go on without her, Slayer Corp. be damned.

But she did not. Instead she waved goodbye and left.

And when she returned in a month's time—her entire world would be changed.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! R&R appreciated but optional! ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine! But the OCs are so please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.

A/N: Sorry this took forever! I am easily distracted! ^_^;;

Chapter 4

After a month had passed, Yuri drove to Yuki's house. She and her team had just arrived back in Tokyo and she was excited and anxious to see Kagome.

Turning her head slightly towards her passenger seat, she glanced at the very large, very fluffy and very pink teddy bear with an even pinker bowtie. 'Kagome is going to love it,' she thought with a smile and turned her attention back to the road ahead.

When at last she reached Yuki's house, she maneuvered her car onto the driveway and parked. She got out and went around her automobile to remove the giant bear. Tucking the stuffed animal under her arm, Yuri went to the front door and rang the bell.

The door opened and a young woman Yuri had never before set eyes on stood within.

"Yes?"

With that one word, Yuri frowned. She did not like this girl simply by the tone of her voice. It held an impertinence that seemed odd for one who appeared to be a maid; a maid, moreover, who was dressed in an oddly skimpy outfit. To top it off, she was chewing on a piece of gum rather viciously and to Yuri, she looked like a cow chewing her cud.

"I'm here to see Kagome," said Yuri coolly.

"Who?" asked the gum-smacking female rudely.

Yuri's frown deepened. "Kagome," she repeated. "I've come to see her."

The maid shifted her stance and cocked her head, her dark eyes glared insolently up at Yuri, barely hiding her displeasure. "Yeah, I heard what you said. Never heard of her," she said and to add emphasis to her point, she popped her gum rather loudly. "Anything else you want?"

"I need to see Yuki." Yuri did not know who she wanted to slap first: Yuki or this impudent little bitch blocking her way into the house.

Another loud pop. "Is he expecting you?" asked the girl, who seemed to be chewing her gum even louder and with more energy than before.

"That is none of your concern. I need to speak to him."

The trashy maid moved back and prepared to close the door. "Sorry, can't do that. He isn't expecting anyone today and he said not to let anyone in." She gave Yuri a contemptuous smile as she began shutting the door.

A moment later the girl was no longer smiling and, to Yuri's amusement, had swallowed the pink wad in her mouth out of sheer terror. Yuri had flung the door open and wrapped one hand around the girl's throat as she shoved the girl up against the closest wall.

"Listen here, you nasty little skank," Yuri hissed at the white-faced maid, "I'm gonna go see that elf bastard whether you like it or not. Now where is Kagome? Where is Akako?"

"I don't know who they are," the maid replied hoarsely. "I've only been working here for the past three weeks."

Three weeks? A horrid sensation filled Yuri's gut and she sniffed the air. She hadn't noticed it when she first came through the front door, but now she did. The scents of both Kagome and Akako were very faint, as though they had not been here recently.

It took all of Yuri's willpower not to squeeze the life of the sobbing, pathetic mortal in her grip. Rage flooded her being and Yuri could feel blood fill her eyes as her youkai struggled to escape. The baying, rabid wolf within her wanted to bathe in the treacherous elf's life blood.

The maid screamed when Yuri's fangs elongated, her face completely draining of color.

With the utmost restraint, Yuri clamped her teeth together and in a low, guttural growl demanded: "Where the _fuck_ is Yuki? If you make me ask again, I _will_ kill you."

"He's in his study!" the girl screamed. "Don't hurt me, please don't hurt me!"

"Go get him," commanded Yuri and tossed the human female into the foyer as though she were nothing more than a ragdoll.

Scrambling to her feet the girl did as she was told and presently Yuki emerged from his study. He did not look surprised to see Yuri. In fact, he looked rather delighted.

"Why hello, Yuri," the elf smugly greeted her. "Long time no see, eh?"

"Go fuck yourself, you bastard. Where is Kagome?" Her body tensed, ready to spring at him. Crown Prince or no, this scum-sucking bottom-feeder would pay with his life if he had harmed her little Kagome in any way.

Yuki, clad in ragged jeans and a white t-shirt, smiled patronizingly at Yuri. He slouched lazily against the doorframe, one hand buried in the pocket of his blue jeans while his free hand ran slowly through his golden hair which had grown longer and curled slightly around his ears. "You look exhausted, my dear. Long journey, eh? Why not come into my study and we'll have a drink. What do you say?"

The youkai curled her lips up, exposing her deadly fangs. "I'm not here to exchange pleasantries, damn it. Now where _is_ she?"

The elf remained unruffled and appallingly, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying himself. "Don't worry so much! Kagome is doing quite well—"

"Where is she, goddamn it!" At this point, Yuri was fighting the panic that was creeping up her throat. _He couldn't have done anything to her. Right? He wouldn't. _

_Would he?_

But Yuki merely shook his head, sending his shining, angelic blond locks swaying about his eternally, infernally perfect face. "I said for you not worry about her. But I must say, Yuri, that you have been a very naughty girl. Very naughty." To emphasize his point he waggled a reproving finger at her. "Tsk tsk."

Yuri frowned. "What are you talking about? What have I done?"

Yuki's famous megawatt smile made its appearance and the maid, who had merely stood by to watch the exchange, wobbled on her stiletto high heeled shoes at the sight of his smile.

"Oh, Yuki-sama," she breathed rapturously, while fanning her face with her hands.

Such admiration was commonplace for Yuki so it was nothing to him to ignore the girl's chest-heaving ecstasy. "It isn't what you've done, Yuri. It is what you've neglected to do."

"What have I neglected to do?" Yuri asked. She was puzzled but her body remained tense. Something about this situation with the arrogant elf did not feel quite right to her. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

He tilted his exquisite head to the side and regarded the youkai female with interest. "But I guess you thought that the realization would never strike me. Not all blonds are idiots, you know."

"I still have no idea what the fuck you're talking about."

Yuki chuckled but his eyes darkened with anger. "Did you think I wouldn't figure it out? Did you think that I would never catch sight of that little star on her left side?"

Moving purely on instinct, Yuri lunged forward, only to be brought to a crashing halt by an invisible barrier. The brutal contact sent her skidding back, but she jumped up and tried to get at Yuki again. Again, she was sent backwards. When she tried to find her way around, Yuri found that Yuki had boxed her in. He had trapped her inside an invisible cage.

"No!" she roared as she got to her feet for a third time. "You'd better drop this barrier now!" Even as the words left her mouth, Yuri knew they would carry no weight. The bastard had the upper hand.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," replied Yuki calmly. He frowned when he realized that his human maidservant was still standing near him, watching him with adoring eyes. "Get out," he commanded her sternly.

But the girl shook her head obstinately. "No way," she shot back hotly. "You promised me a comfortable life here with you for as long as I wanted. You told me that as long as I did what you required of me that we could play house." She smiled seductively at Yuki and sidled up to him, completely forgetting that Yuri was in the room. "Remember? I was your naughty little maid and you were my big, strong master and you said that if I pleased you, you would give me whatever my heart desired. Don't you remember, my prince?" Her dark eyes shone with greed and lust as she reached for him.

The look on Yuki's facial expression went from amusement to revulsion in the space of a moment. "Do not touch me, you stupid cunt," he snapped angrily. "I'll give you something more, alright." He dug in his front pocket and took out a wad of cash, which he threw in the girl's face. "There. That should hold you until you find another job."

The girl, who had already dropped to her knees to pick up the scattered bills, looked sharply up at him. "What? Another job? What do you mean by that?" she asked, clutching the money to her chest. "Just a minute, pal. You said I could stay here as long as I wanted!"

Yuki rolled his eyes. "I said, I said. Who cares what I said? Just how old are you anyway? Five? Don't you know that men lie to women to get what they want? Just as women lie to men to get what _they_ want."

The maid's lips began to tremble and her eyes filled with tears. "But I thought… I mean…What did you really want from me?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

The elf prince smiled at the human girl and Yuri debated on whether to shout at the girl to run away, that Yuki was no good. But she said nothing and watched as the silly female dropped to her knees before Yuki and unzipped his pants. Yuri quickly averted her gaze while the girl gave Yuki a blow job right in there in the foyer.

"Damn, you're stupid," Yuri muttered to herself and was surprised when the exact same words came out of Yuki's mouth. She turned back to look at the pair and caught sight of the elf zipping up his fly while using one foot to shove the girl away from him.

Not surprisingly, the girl began to scream loudly, bombarding the elf with insult after insult. Both Yuki and Yuri cringed at the assault upon their sensitive ears.

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Yuki hissed, his hands flying up to cover his ears. "Do you see now why I called you stupid? Because you are. You are stupid _and_ weak. All I ever had to do in order to get you to do what I wanted was to smile at you and pay you a pretty compliment or two. That's it! I simply smiled at you and you, in turn, did whatever the fuck I wanted. You were like putty in my hands. All I really wanted you for was to suck me off now and then. That's all. But I don't need you any longer, as my plans have changed." He sneered at her, his gaze hard and unfeeling. "You're no maid; you're nothing more than a prostitute, you sleazy bitch." He pointed at the money that was once more scattered on the floor. "Take it and go," he ordered firmly. "I won't tell you again."

The blubbering noises that the girl was making irritated Yuri to no end. But at the same time she almost felt sorry for the pitiful human. Yuki was an anomaly, a different kind of elf. Most elves were sweet, kindly, gentle creatures—but not him. Neither he nor his mother could be described as such. Yuri had never met the Lady Rini— who had been sent away for her mental health— but she had heard tales from Athena and Artie about the woman and none of them were pleasant.

When the girl wasn't moving fast enough for his liking, Yuki grabbed the girl by the back of the neck and marched her past Yuri in her invisible barrier to toss her out through the front door, which he immediately slammed shut and locked it. "Now then," he said as he came to stand in front of Yuri. He cracked his knuckles as he studied her. "About you. What on earth am I to do about you, you meddlesome brat?"

"Where's Kagome?" Yuri asked him again. She did not care about whatever he planned to do to her; all Yuri wanted to know was if Kagome was safe.

He shook his head. "She is none of your concern any longer so just forget about her. Okay?" His voice was calm, thoughtful. He almost sounded as though he was being pleasant towards her.

But Yuri knew better. Yuki was a dirty, conniving scumbag who would lie to his own mother's face in order to get his way. And the thought that he had Kagome hidden away somewhere, left all alone until he returned, scared Yuri like nothing else.

"Please," she begged as her tears began to fall, "please don't do this. I need her and she—" Hereshe debated whether or not to continue, "—she needs me. I'm all she has and she is all I have. You can't separate us." Seeing the elf's gaze harden, Yuri swallowed her pride and sank to her knees before him. "I'm begging you. Bring her back, Yuki. Please. She's just a child."

The elf watched her in silence for what seemed a long, long time. After a while, he reached into his left front pocket and brought out a battered pack of cigarettes. "You know, Yuri," he muttered, his lips clamping down on the filter end as he replaced the pack back into his pants pocket, "I've always dreamed of you like this, down on your knees and begging me. Of course, it was my forgiveness you were begging for, not for the return of one little human girl. All the same, you are still on your knees right now, begging." His index finger erupted into a flame from which he lit his cigarette. "Beg some more. I think I'm beginning to like it."

Anger filled her and she jumped to her feet, pure hate burning in her eyes. "Fuck you, you sorry sack of elf shit! You're just playing with me!" she roared at him. "You are never going to let me see her again are you?"

Yuki's eyes, too, glowed with hate but a nasty smile played delicately about his lips. "Ding, ding, ding, give the wolf bitch a prize," was his haughty reply. "You are absolutely right, Yuri. I _will_ never let you see her again." He exhaled through his nose, sending smoke curling outwards. "But I'm curious. How does it feel," he asked, casually studying his index finger as the tiny flame danced lightly on his skin, "knowing that by the time Kagome reaches her majority, she won't even remember who you are?"

It took all of Yuri's self-control not to completely lose her mind. She knew that to try to attack him—_which was exactly what she wanted to do_—would be useless, seeing as how the barrier remained up. "How is it possible that you are an elf?" she asked him through tightly clenched teeth. Yuri could have stopped there but she knew his reply would be callous and rude, so she took it further. Why hold back?

She went on: "You're far too vicious and nasty to be a real elf. But then again, so is your mother. From what I hear, she's one crazy ass bitch. Is that true, Yuki? That she's gone fucking psycho? And what of all those rumors about you? They had to come from somewhere, right? Well? Is it true that your mom got knocked up by a youkai and she passed you off as your father's offspring? I mean, you look _nothing_ at all like Mr. Yamadera. At least I know that I am my father's child." She tossed her long black hair and flashed her blue eyes at him.

The look on his face was priceless and Yuri reveled in this small victory. His smile vanished instantly and his visage darkened as she had never seen it before. "Fuck you," was his tight-lipped reply. "How dare you speak about my mother and father like that? My mother is of _royal_ elven blood while you are nothing but the product of a common demon." His upper lip curled in a sardonic sneer. "Just because your father was one of the founders of the Slayer Corp, doesn't mean that you deserve an elevated status. You really ought to know your place, wolf bitch." He turned his back on her and started to walk away from her.

But Yuri did not want him to leave. She felt that if he did, something bad would happen. "I may be a commoner," she said in an attempt to keep him from leaving, "but at least Kagome loves me! I want nothing more than to see her happy and well." Yuri sighed with resignation. "Look, I know that you have the power to make sure she and I are kept apart so I think there is something you should know. About Kagome, I mean."

"And that is?"

"She fears you, Yuki."

His footsteps ceased but he did not turn around. "You lie."

Yuri shook her head. "I'm not lying. She fears you and feels that you hate her."

"Why should I hate her?" he asked, turning around. His expression was one of genuine distress. "And why should she be afraid of me? Kagome knows I would never hurt her. She knows this! So why—" All at once, he ceased to speak and the look in his eyes hardened. "I see what you're trying to do. You're trying to throw a wrench into my plans but it's not going to work, do you hear me? Kagome has no need to fear me. She never has before."

How hard-headed this idiot was! Yuri lunged forward but not surprisingly, the barrier was still in place. "What's wrong with you? You're talking about Kagome as though she retained the memory of her past life, but she hasn't! Don't you see? For all she knows, this is her first time around! She doesn't remember you, she doesn't remember me and she doesn't remember my father. You've… you've got to give her time, Yuki. Remembering one's past life takes time."

Yuki looked as though he was about to argue with her, but he paused and glanced down at the floor, a thoughtful look on his face. "You're right," he agreed amiably and even smiled at her.

Yuri was instantly suspicious. As long as she'd known Yuki, he had never sent her a smile that wasn't hiding something dark and sinister behind it. Cursing the barrier that surrounded her, she readied herself for an attack… just in case.

"I must thank you for reminding me of that," he went on, his smile growing wider. "I guess you _can_ be useful after all. Ah, just a moment." He excused himself and disappeared into his study. A moment later he emerged, holding two long wooden boxes. "Can't forget these," he chuckled.

"What are they?" asked Yuri curiously. Her instincts were flaring wildly. Something was definitely about to go down, she thought, fighting a sudden attack of queasiness. Something was going to happen and here she was, trapped like a rat in a cage.

"My swords," he told her, wrapping them in a blanket as though he was swaddling an infant. "Can't leave _them_ behind, can I?"

Leave them behind? Yuri was confused. Where was he going, that he must take two unused swords with him?

The odd feeling she had earlier came to back to smack her in the face. She looked around the foyer, studying the area carefully. Then it hit her. She hadn't noticed it before because she had been furious and all she wanted to do was rip Yuki's smug face off. All the decorations were gone. The house, she thought with a dreadful, sinking feeling, was empty. When her eyes once again met his, she saw flames pop up all over his body, save the swords which were kept protected by the cloth they were wrapped up in.

"Sorry," he said, though his voice sounded none too remorseful. "But I can't have you around. You're right about giving Kagome time, though. If I let you remain in her life, one day in the future she will look at you and her memories of your bastard father will return and he will consume her as he did in her last life. That cannot be allowed to happen." He smiled ruefully at her. "It's a shame that it has to be this way. You _do_ understand, don't you? Besides, if you turned up, Kagome would think I was a liar. I mean, she thinks you're dead already."

"_What_?"

He tut-tutted reproachfully. "Oh, didn't I tell you? The day after you left I had to break the sad news to her. It was heart-wrenching, you know, having to tell her that her beloved Yuri was killed in the line of duty. That poor, sweet child. How she cried for you." He made a sad, pouting face at Yuri.

Horror swept over Yuri, then pure rage. "_You are a monster_!" she roared at Yuki. Never had she felt so helpless.

"Yes, I know. But still, doesn't that make you happy? I mean, she _cried_ for you. Although I'm loath to admit it, I must say that I was pretty damn jealous."

Yuri clutched at her chest, which clenched painfully. She couldn't take anymore blows from the sadistic elf. "Stop it," she begged and sank to her knees. "Stop doing this to me!"

"Doing what?" He raised his hand and a stream of fire shot upwards. The ceiling was instantly engulfed in flames. "Just so you know, the barrier will keep you in but it won't keep the flames out. As I said before, it's a shame it has to be this way but you leave me no choice. Your very existence is an impediment to my future happiness."

"No!" Yuri cried and slammed her fists against the invisible wall. "Let me out! Please!"

"Again, I already told you it has to be this way. Look, just accept what's coming to you, okay?" Yuki told her, speaking to her as though he was reprimanding a naughty child. He touched the slim gold bracelet on his left wrist and a portal opened up behind him, right in front of the stairs. Before he turned to step through the swirling blue mist, Yuki paused and glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh, I say," he said and shook himself. The flames that encompassed him went out and he walked over to the wall where Yuri's large pink teddy bear was still sitting. Picking up the bear by one ear, Yuki ran his eyes over the enormous stuffed animal. "I'll take this to Kagome. She's going to love it. Thanks."

Again Yuri yelled at him to release her but Yuki was already passing through the portal. In flash of blue light he was gone and Yuri was alone and trapped in a burning house.

ooooo

Yuki whistled a cheerful tune as he strolled leisurely through the portal to his world. He had ended up in the portal room in a little-used wing of the Imperial palace and was now heading down a corridor towards his personal quarters.

He would have to be quick; time was growing short before he had to whisk his precious Kagome away, to the place he had found to keep her safe and secure—and away from vengeful relatives who would most likely survive a blazing house fire. That Yuri would make it out alive, he had no doubt. A quick, surreptitious glance over his shoulder told him that rescue would soon be on its way.

He had not wanted her to die; not really. She may be Kouga's offspring, but she was also his beloved Kagome's only child. He just needed a diversion to get Kagome away and also to live out a fantasy of tormenting that bitch Yuri. Of course, he should have done taken care of Kagome beforehand, while the annoying she-wolf was away on assignment when he had plenty of time to act. But to send Kagome away immediately after telling her that her cousin was deceased… well, that would have been cruel. So he let Kagome grieve in peace for a month.

But today, that would be over. What Yuki had really wanted was to find a tall tower and lock Kagome up in the topmost portion of it, just like in the story of Rapunzel. But he did not wish to deny her contact with other people; only Yuri.

_Damn Yuri._ His stomach churned violently every time Yuri came to his house see the Kagome. Even before he realized who the little girl truly was, pangs of jealousy would stab viciously at his heart upon seeing the adoring look on Kagome's little face whenever she set eyes on her cousin.

At the memory, Yuki ceased whistling and gritted his teeth. Gods, how that hurt! _He_ was the one who took care of her; it was _he_ who made sure she had all the necessities of life and not once—_not once!_— did she look up at him with love glowing in her eyes as she did with Yuri.

So what more reason did he need to do what he did? In his mind Yuki felt perfectly justified in his actions; for had Yuri's and Kagome's relationship continued in the way it had been, the two would have become inseparable. He had had an awful premonition that when Kagome was old enough she would have demanded to be allowed to live with Yuri, whom she worshipped. The very thought of losing his beloved Kagome again to a sneaky wolf-in-the-grass was more than Yuki could bear. He would die before he allowed that to happen.

Pushing all unpleasant thoughts aside, he smiled to himself and hugged the giant bear tightly about its neck. It would be a little over a decade before he could announce his intentions and to do so while his intended was still a child was strictly forbidden. But he would wait, for as long as it took. Yes, he would wait. And when she was old enough, after a long time had passed and Yuri was long forgotten, Yuki would have another chance with his beloved Kagome again.

ooo

Three people witnessed a very satisfied Yuki exiting the palace's portal room with a long object wrapped in a blanket tucked in one arm and a gigantic pink teddy bear in the other. They stared at the elf prince's retreating back until he turned a corner and was gone.

"That was weird," remarked Inuyasha. "I haven't seen him so pleased with himself in ages." With him were his two oldest nephews, Dante and Tiberius, who both agreed with their uncle.

As they turned to go, Dante paused and looked at his brother, who stood quite still and appeared to be listening to something. Inuyasha turned also.

"Ty? What's wrong?" asked Dante curiously.

Ty's head was cocked in an inquiring manner and he stared blankly into space. "Do you hear that?"

The other two listened for a moment but shook their heads. "No, can't say I do. How about you, Uncle?" Dante asked.

Inuyasha shook his head again. "No, sorry. What is it that you hear? What did it sound like?"

But Ty shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I don't know. It sounded like— like—" He cocked his head again and this time, his eyes flew open with alarm. "Like a cry for help. Damn it, it's Yuri!" Without another word, he was racing down the hall towards the portal room.

His brother and uncle were right on his heels.

"But we don't know where it's coming from," Dante pointed out as soon as he and Inuyasha rejoined Tiberius, who was glancing at the control panel on the wall by the door.

"Shit," Ty muttered as he tried to access Yuki's information. "I forgot that his bracelet makes his portal travel untraceable." He paused and thought for a bit. "But he was carrying something. I'd be willing to be he just left his house. From what I hear, he's moved all his things out."

"Open it," Dante said, turning to face the portal. "Yuki's house."

Ty punched in a few buttons and the blue swirling mist appeared before them. As soon as it opened, they could all smell it. It was the scent of burning wood.

Dante was the first one through. "Yuri!" he cried out as his brother and uncle dashed through right behind him. His eyes caught sight of a solitary figure lying on the floor in the middle of what used to be the foyer in Yuki's home. Now it was a smoke- and flame-filled inferno.

He was about to run to her when Ty grabbed his arm and held him back. When Dante glanced sharply at Ty over his shoulder, eyes questioning, Ty shook his head.

"Don't," he warned Dante. "Let me check it out first."

"What? But why? She needs help, damn it!" Dante attempted to surge forward, but again Tiberius held him back.

"Yuri would not willingly allow herself to be trapped in a burning house," Ty pointed out. "I surmise that Yuki made sure she couldn't leave. If I had to guess, I'd say that he put a barrier up so she was unable to escape."

"But what has that to do with me helping her?" Dante's chest heaved impatiently.

"You are youkai, as is Yuri. She's very strong, is she not?" Ty put a hand up and moved his hand slowly in a horizontal line. "As I thought, there _is_ a barrier. If she couldn't get past it, what makes you think you can do the same?"

Dante grunted irritably. "Well then hurry the fuck up," he snarled at his brother. "I can't just stand here while the house burns down around us."

Tiberius moved towards Yuri's still body. He was filled with trepidation about approaching her for he was uncertain whether he could pass the barrier. His cousin Yuki was much older than he and his powers were great. Ty had practically no knowledge of creating or destroying barriers so for all Ty knew, should he pass the invisible wall, he may not be able to exit. As it was, he had no idea if he could pull Yuri to safety.

Covering his nose and mouth with his shirt sleeve against the thick smoke, Ty took a deep breath and using his right hand, he pushed it through the barrier. When he moved his hand back, he was not entirely shocked at the result.

He could not pull his hand back out.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" Dante yelled, alarmed. He too, was using his shirt sleeve to cover his nose and mouth. "Take your hand out, Ty!"

Coughing, Ty shook his head. "I can't." He moved his hand around inside the barrier, but he was unable to pull it back out.

"What do you mean you can't?" It was Inuyasha. "Pull harder!"

"I can't," Ty yelled over his shoulder. "Yuki was clever. He made this barrier so whoever walked through it couldn't walk out of it. I thought perhaps it would only affect youkai, but it appears to be otherwise."

Inuyasha squeezed his younger nephew's shoulder. "I have a solution. You and Dante just keep Yuri safe from falling debris. It looks like this house won't hold up much longer. I'll be right back."

"Where are you—" began Dante, but Inuyasha was already gone. "Damn, why'd he leave us?"

With an amused smile on his face, Ty turned to look at his brother. "To retrieve what he should have when I first detected this stupid barrier."

Dante looked confused and Ty chuckled at his brother's expression. "He went to get the Tetsusaiga," Ty explained, getting down on his knees. "Remember what Father told us when we were kids? Uncle Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga had the ability to destroy any barrier."

"Oh thank the gods," sighed a very relieved Dante. "But what are you doing now? Don't do anything foolish."

"I'll be fine. I'm just going in to check on Yuri."

"What do you want me to do?" Dante asked. He lifted a hand to his face and wiped the perspiration from his brow. "Damn, it's hot in here."

Ty looked straight overhead. He did not like the look of that ceiling. It seemed to be close to caving in on top of them. "Go to Yuki's study and remove one of the doors. They're made of metal. If you see anything about to fall on top of us, use the door to deflect the debris. It will allow you to remain outside the barrier." Without another word, he crawled through the barrier wall and knelt beside Yuri.

Dante did as his brother told him and ripped one of the heavy metal doors off its hinges. He then carried it over to where Yuri and Ty were, trapped inside the barrier. As he watched, he saw Ty brush Yuri's hair back from her face and try to get her to respond to him. She didn't respond; at least, not at first. When Ty touched her face again, Yuri's eyes fluttered open. Dante's body tensed but he was relieved. She was alive.

Ty pulled away from her slightly and Dante could see Yuri's face. It held a confused expression and her lips moved. The inu youkai frowned. He couldn't read what she had said to his brother but a moment later, the sweetest smile turned her lips up and she repeated the word she had said to Ty.

"What is she saying?" Dante asked.

But Tiberius did not answer. Instead, he glanced back at his brother with the strangest look on his face.

Before Dante could demand an answer, Inuyasha arrived, sword in hand. "Stand back, Dante," he commanded. He lifted the Tetsusaiga high in the air, its long curved blade glowing a deep red. With one swing, the barrier disintegrated in flash of light and Dante had scooped Yuri up while Inuyasha pulled Tiberius to his feet. Sirens announcing the arrival of mortals could be heard in the distance just as the four rushed through the portal.

Once on the other side they hurried to the living quarters of Miranda and Sesshoumaru. Though surprised to see her sons, brother-in-law and Yuri covered in soot and perspiration, she said nothing until the latter had been attended to. While she and Inuyasha were seeing to Yuri, Dante and Ty waited silently outside their parents' bedroom door. After a few minutes, Miranda joined her sons.

"Yuri appears to be fine but I'd like to know what happened to her. Inuyasha told me that Yuki trapped her in a burning house. Is this true?" She sat down on her favorite divan, which was decorated in a charming shade of cornflower blue embroidered with minute gold thread in a delicate floral pattern. "Boys? Well, is it?"

"I'm afraid it is," Dante admitted glumly. "That jerk has always hated her. It doesn't surprise me that he'd want to kill her too."

Miranda clicked her tongue. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Dante. Yuki may be many things, but a murderer? He would never do something like that. Especially not to Kagome's daughter."

Scowling, Dante turned on his mother. "Well, I believe he _would_ do something like that. Don't forget that she is also the daughter of Kouga. Every time he looks at Yuri, he is brutally reminded of that fact. He's probably done it only to torment her," remarked Dante sourly. He cringed at the look his mother was giving him and his next words were defensive. "Look, I know he is your nephew and the next in line for the throne, but there is little doubt that he is a twisted character. The bastard seems to get off on hurting others."

With those words, the room went silent. Lady Miranda frowned at Dante, Dante scowled at Tiberius while Tiberius stared off into space, deep in thought. As the three were lost in their own thoughts, a scream erupted from Miranda's bedroom. Ty and Dante were on their feet first and rushed into the room in time to see Inuyasha cradling a distraught Yuri.

"No, no you don't understand!" she sobbed and tried to pull away from her stepfather. "I have to find him! He knows where she is!"

By now Miranda had joined the others in her room and upon seeing Yuri's tears she rushed to the young demoness and scooped her up in her arms. This action served not only to comfort Yuri, but it would enable her to see Yuri's thoughts…

One look was enough. Miranda moved quickly away and covering her face with her hands, she dropped to her knees on the floor. Her legs could not support her one moment longer.

"Mom!" Dante was at her side, joining her on the floor. His hands went to hers and pulled them away. The pain he saw in her eyes made his youkai blood boil. "What did he do, Mom?"

But Miranda barely paid Dante any heed. When he pulled her hands from her face, Miranda felt wetness on her cheeks and on her palms. Tears.

"Monster," she whispered into her hands. "He is a monster."

Ty and Dante both looked over at Yuri, who was sobbing helplessly in Inuyasha's arms.

"What did he do to you?" Ty asked quietly. "Yuri? What went on in that house?"

For a long time Yuri was unable to speak coherently. But at last she managed to stop crying long enough to tell them what had transpired in Yuki's house. When she finished, her blue eyes filled with fresh tears, which spilled freely down her pale cheeks.

"He—he took her away," she stammered as she wiped away her tears. "He told her that I had been killed in the line of duty." Yuri squeezed her eyes shut against the pain in her chest. But the pain was everywhere; it filled the world and she knew that it would not ever go away, not until she held Kagome again. "I can only imagine what she felt when he told her that. How did she feel, thinking she would never see me again? She—Kagome had begged me not to leave her, but I did. Oh gods, I did! Why? Why didn't I listen to her?"

Despite Inuyasha's best efforts, Yuri was too far gone to be consoled. Instead she curled up into a ball and cried, moaning Kagome's name over and over again in the most wretched and guilt-ridden manner.

At last, when Miranda had regained her strength, she rose and went to the bed where Yuri lay. Pressing a kiss to the dear girl's temple, Miranda whispered a few words and touched her forehead with gentle fingertips. Instantly, Yuri slipped into a peaceful and blissful slumber.

"Take this poor child home," she murmured to Inuyasha. "Don't let her out of your sight, not even for a minute. She has had a dreadful shock and rest is just what she needs right now. I will send Dante to see his father and explain that Yuri is not to go on assignment for some time to come." Her eyes hardened as she looked at her eldest son. Inuyasha could not help but take notice of her in that moment. Miranda presented him with the most perfect, regal profile he had ever seen. It was a face that was the embodiment of the purest and highest nobility of the elven race. "If your father kicks up a fuss, come to me. I shall put him straight," she finished, her voice imperious.

Ty sent his brother a nervous glance as Dante bowed to their mother. "Your servant, madam," he murmured respectfully and left the room. After a moment, Inuyasha scooped up his deeply sleeping stepdaughter and carried her out of Miranda's chamber.

When all but Tiberius had gone, Miranda turned to him. "Can you find out where my wretched nephew has absconded to with the little girl?" she asked coldly.

But her son shook his head. "No," he replied quietly. "That portal bracelet of his is not like ours, remember? Whatever path he took is untraceable."

"Damn it!" Miranda spat out angrily. She stormed over to her bedroom windows and flung them open. A gust of wind blew into the room and to Ty, it seemed as though the wind flushed out the negative energy in the room. He relaxed and sat down on the edge of his parents' bed, waiting for his mother to calm down.

For a long moment Miranda stood quite still at the open window, eyes shut, and took deep breaths. She knew that Ty had already let go of his negativity; now it was her turn. But how could she release it so easily? Especially when she wanted nothing more than to throttle Yuki's pretty little neck.

"You'll gain nothing by that," Ty told her in a quiet voice.

Startled, Miranda shot a look over shoulder at her son. His back was to her, his broad shoulders slumping over slightly.

"Darling?"

"Yes, Mom?"

Walking around the foot of her bed, she went over to him and knelt before him. "What did you mean? 'You'll gain nothing by that'?"

Ty studied her face thoughtfully for a minute and then he shrugged. "I don't know. Didn't you say you wanted nothing more than to throttle Yuki's pretty little neck?"

"Not out loud," she told him somberly, but a spark of excitement lit up her eyes. Could it be? Could it be that her darling Tiberius was a mind reader? How wonderful! Neither Athena nor Artemis had inherited that gift and she had found that odd, seeing as how she and Rini both did. Miranda had felt certain that when her twin daughters were born, they would possess such a talent.

But the excitement died a little when she remembered and she hated herself for even forgetting. Her first son, her beloved Gil, had also been a mind reader. Even though he was half human, he could still read other people's minds. It had irritated Rini to no end that Miranda had married and born the child of a human man, but that the child should also be endowed with a gift seemingly reserved for elf kind?

"_It is preposterous!"_ Rini had proclaimed angrily.

"_My Gil is a special child,"_ was Miranda's retort.

"_No one is as special as my Yuki,"_ Rini countered haughtily, _"so do not dare put your half-breed offspring in the same category as my lovely, pure blooded child!"_

How she hated her snobbish sister! There had been many a time when Miranda desperately wished that she had no twin. Indeed, she wished that she had no sister at all! For Rini to degrade her only child as cruelly as she did was unforgivable. But then, she also denied a mother's love to her own son simply because he was different. What a wretched woman was Rini! As for Gil, who— despite his faults and an absent, uncaring father— had been a loving, wonderful son.

Miranda blinked and rose. Though many years had passed since her first child died, it did not take much for grief to overcome her whenever her thoughts turned to him.

Seeing his mother's face switch from happiness to sorrow in so short a time brought Ty to his feet. "Mom?" he said and reached for her just as she turned her back on him. His hand just barely touched her bare arm when his mind's eye was inundated with his mother's memories of a funeral. Gil's funeral.

He did not need to see her face to sense what she was feeling. His arms went around her and he held her close.

"I'm so sorry, Mom," he whispered, his mouth moving against her blond hair. His chest hurt. Ty had willingly received some of his mother's pain, taking enough from her so that she would not have to feel so much anguish alone. "I wish I had been there for you. Hell, I wish I had known him. It was unfair that you were the only one who got to know him."

"You and Dante share his traits. Perhaps in time Draco shall as well," his mother said at last. Her voice was soft and the look in her eyes was distant, as though she remembering some forgotten memory. Ty felt her frustration; she could barely recall Gil's face. But he could sense that it was a forced amnesia. She simply did not _want_ to remember.

"Just look at his pictures, Mom," he said gently. "It would do you good to remember him when he was alive."

Her soft lips trembled. "I can't," she replied as a tear rolled down her cheek to her chin, where it wobbled slightly before dropping off. "I want to, but I can't."

He sighed. While she had allowed he and his siblings to look through her old photo albums, his mother had never shown any desire to see them for herself. Ty knew that she loved Gil—of course she would, he was her first child—but it was the memory of how he had died that held her back. There had been a tragic error when she came to view her son's body, Ty thought, easily accessing her memory of that day. One of the elves in charge of cleaning Gil's remains had left the sheet down so that his torso was exposed to the waist, not realizing that his mother was coming to see him one last time.

At these thoughts, Ty quickly released his mother, his entire body shaking. He had just seen what she too had seen— the after effects of how her precious son had perished. Gil laid there, his flesh white and cold, his eyes closed; his once handsome features slack in death. And there was a gaping, fist-sized hole in his chest_—_

Ty had always been a calm, clear-headed individual. Very little could upset him. But that vision… that vision shook him to the core.

"You saw it, didn't you," said his mother quietly.

Nodding, Ty grabbed his head with both hands as though the action could clear his mind. But nothing would get that horrific image out of his head. Nothing. Like some grainy black and white movie, the awful memory continued to play on in his mind.

_He entered the room behind Sesshoumaru, Lady Miranda and Inuyasha._

"_What the hell is this?" It was Sesshoumaru's voice, deep and authoritative._

_Lady Miranda was in the room, her hands clapped to her mouth. "Gil?" she gasped. The elf attendant quickly drew the sheet upwards to cover Gil's torso, but it was too late. She had already seen the full extent of his wound._

_It was then she began to scream: "My baby! My baby! Dear gods, not my baby!"_

The reverberation of her cries in his head sent Tiberius to his knees. It tore him apart, seeing his mother's face twist in horror and agony and hearing her scream Gil's name with the sound of utter heartbreak.

In the vision, Ty watched helplessly as Sesshoumaru put his arms around his beloved's body just as she crumpled to the floor, her shrieks of despair seeming to fill the world. He wanted to go to her, to console her but his heart was already heavy—

Unable to stand back and watch her son suffer at seeing her memories, Miranda quickly whispered a few words and touched his cheek with glowing fingers. He slumped forward into her arms as unconsciousness mercifully overcame him.

With tears streaming down her face, Miranda rocked her son gently. "I hope to never relive that moment," she whispered in his ear and for a brief moment, she smiled a sad, watery smile. "I guess that is why I had so many children with your father. At that time, the loss of the only child I had nearly killed me. But now I have six healthy, beautiful babies whom I love more than life itself. Oh, I still miss Gil and the pain of knowing just how he died will always be with me, but I see him whenever I look at all of you." She clutched at Tiberius tighter. "Now I shall be content knowing that you and he share the same gift. Perhaps this is his way of communicating that he is still with me. Gil always _was_ protective of his mother."

Through her tears Miranda laughed softly and kissed her son's fair head as she continued to rock him for a long, long time.

ooo

As per his mother's orders, Dante did manage to contact his father, who immediately rushed home to find his mate tearful and his second oldest son unconscious. Both had apparently crumpled on the floor of the bedroom together.

Sesshoumaru demanded to know what was going on and Miranda told him.

"Yuki did what?" whispered the youkai lord. He sank heavily down upon his wife's divan, a puzzled expression on his face.

"He tried to kill her by setting his own house on fire. Can you believe it? I knew he was spiteful but I never thought he would dare go so far as to murder someone. And all to keep her own little cousin away from her! He is a monster, Sesshoumaru. A fiend in elven clothing."

"So it would appear."

Miranda turned soulful blue eyes up to her handsome husband. "Will you give Yuri time off? Not just a couple of weeks or a month, but some real time to heal. That poor child has narrowly escaped a fiery death and lost her only blood relative in the same fell swoop."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Kagome was not her only blood relative, my love. What about that wayward young man, Kagome's brother?"

But Miranda returned his frown and flapped a dismissive hand. "He's nothing! Miroku took himself out of the familial equation after the death of his mother. For all intents and purposes he does not count." She shifted Ty's body slightly and Sesshoumaru, seeing that his son was weighing heavily on Miranda, got to his feet and carefully lifted Ty onto the bed.

Miranda stood as well, but her gaze never left Sesshoumaru's face. "So what do you say, darling? Will you be merciful to Yuri? She needs this time to care for herself."

"Where is she?"

"With your brother."

"I see." Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. "Then I shall need to have a chat with our girls. I don't think Athena and Artemis will like having their status changed to Inactive and Juno will most likely not care to take over Yuri's job, even temporarily."

"They will understand," said his mate reassuringly. "At least Athena and Artemis will see the prudence of your decision and will go along with whatever you say. Besides, they would do anything to help Yuri through this, even if it means putting them on the shelf for a bit."

Sesshoumaru shook his head and glared at the ground. "I don't want to do it," he said gruffly, "and the last thing I want to take some of my best slayers out of circulation. But why Juno shouldn't want to be squad leader, even for a short time, is beyond me. I thought my girl would have a bit more ambition."

Miranda smiled up at her beloved. Sesshoumaru was so tall and handsome, she thought and a little thrill of desire ran through her. Even after all these years and six children, the sight of him could still make her as giddy as a schoolgirl. She went to him and slipped her arms about his waist. "The explanation is simple. Juno knows that Yuri is the alpha female in their little group, dearest," she murmured against his broad chest. A smile of bliss crossed her lips when she felt his arms go around her. "You worry too much, my love."

With a chuckle, Sesshoumaru kissed the top of his mate's head. "I am supposed to worry, sweetheart. Not only am I her employer, but I am her father. Isn't that my job? To worry about the welfare of my offspring?"

"But Juno is a grown woman, Sesshoumaru."

"So? She is still my daughter."

"She is my daughter too, but I'm not worrying about her as much as you because I know she can take care of herself. You just don't have enough faith in her."

Sesshoumaru squeezed his arms until his mate squeaked. "What are you talking about?" he demanded in mock horror. "You really shouldn't lie to me like that, my lady. You worry about all our children equally."

"Now who's lying?"

The Taiyoukai bowed his head and nibbled on his beloved's ear. "Speaking of children," he began in a breathy whisper.

Ignoring the fact that their son lay, unconscious, in their midst, Miranda tipped her head back with her eyes closed. "Yes?" was her equally breathy whisper.

Sesshoumaru smiled wickedly against her neck. "How would you like to have another one?"

It was a wonder that such a resounding slap did not awaken the slumbering Tiberius.

"Don't talk such nonsense to me, Sesshoumaru," retorted the elf princess hotly as she headed for the door. "Another child? Are you insane?"

"What's wrong with wanting another child?" Sesshoumaru asked.

She swung on him, blue eyes blazing fiercely. _"You didn't have to give birth to the last one!"_ she hissed angrily, mindful of their sleeping son.

Laughing helplessly and rubbing his reddened cheek, the Taiyoukai followed her. "But I'm being deadly serious," he managed between guffaws.

"You are an idiot and I despise you."

"But I love you."

The door shut on their quarrel, leaving Tiberius still sleeping deeply.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

For Yuri, life without her young relative had grown dark and lifeless without the sunshine that the precious little girl had brought into her lonely life. A few months after Kagome had been taken away, Yuri was able to return to work but she was not the same. Juno and the twins felt at a loss as how to treat Yuri, who had to eventually command them to not treat her with kid gloves. She would survive, Yuri told them. At least Kagome was alive; that much she was certain of. No matter how cold and callous Yuki was to everyone else, he would not allow anything to happen to Kagome, seeing as how he now knew who she was.

When the facts were made known to Juno concerning the identity of Yuri's mother, the inu demoness felt a mixture of relief and annoyance. At last Yuri could stop obsessing about finding her mother's reincarnation. But now a new obsession would begin and that was the start of a whole new search— which would consist of locating the little girl's whereabouts.

While her twin sisters had, without hesitation, offered to assist Yuri in her search, Juno had not offered to aid them. Indeed, she had informed Yuri and her sisters that she had no desire to help out in any way.

"In all honesty," said Juno with her usual haughtiness, "I do not care for children and even though she is special to you, I feel for her the way I feel for every other brat on this planet. But by all means, search for her in your spare time. Just leave me out of it."

And Yuri had. She had had no idea Juno felt the way she did about Kagome and the knowledge hurt her a little. But she forgave Juno for her words, for Juno couldn't help not liking children. It was part of who she was and Yuri had to accept that.

In the meantime, it was the twins who made Yuri feel that all hope was not lost. During her darkest hours, when she felt that she could not go on, Athena and Artie were there to surround her and envelope her with their peace and light. Elves were such marvelous creatures, Yuri thought whenever the two elves embraced her. They were such a comforting presence in her life and she often wondered how she would have ever survived this blow without them.

The first mission since before Kagome's abduction had been a godsend for it forced Yuri to take her mind off of the little girl and Yuki's treachery.

But when the mission was over two months later, she discovered later that it would be hard to come back home knowing that it would an empty homecoming. Kagome would not be there to welcome her back. And when she was finally alone in her apartment that overlooked downtown Tokyo, Yuri's emotions—which she had been holding back through sheer will for months— overwhelmed her and she broke down into uncontrollable sobs. She was so worried about Kagome, and she hoped with all her might that Yuki was treating her well and giving her all the love and attention she deserved. But she also cursed herself for leaving when Kagome had begged her to stay. Had she done so, had she defied the Corp, Yuki would not have been given the opportunity to disappear with Kagome. But Yuri had behaved like a good little girl and obeyed her orders, all the while her heart had screamed at her to stay.

Before she knew it, one year passed, then another and then another. Yuri kept track of the days they had been separated; she even celebrated Kagome's birthday every October.

And even as she celebrated Kagome's birthday without the birthday girl, Athena and Artemis celebrated it with her. Although she suspected that the twins did it solely for her benefit and not for Kagome's sake, Yuri was grateful to them. Every year, Yuri had a cake made with lots of pink roses, since pink had been Kagome's favorite color, and she took pictures of it in hopes that one day she would be able to show Kagome that she had not once forgotten her birthday.

"But what if you never see her again?" Artie asked Yuri on Kagome's twelfth birthday. "This may be all for naught."

They were in the dining room of Yuri's apartment. While Athena lit twelve little red and white striped candles with a flame from her pinky finger, she attempted to shush her sister but Yuri shook her head. "No, Athena, it's all right. It's a perfectly reasonable question. You may be right, Artie. I may never see Kagome again. But if that is the case, then I suppose I'm doing this for my own benefit." Yuri took a quick snapshot of the lovingly decorated cake with its pink icing roses and green icing leaves that sat atop smooth white buttercream. The candles stuck up from the cake, their tiny flames blazing merrily. She set the camera down and flipped the lens closed. "Sometimes I feel myself letting her go," she admitted quietly, a pained expression on her pretty face. "And I don't like it."

Artie reached out and rubbed Yuri's arm gently. "Perhaps that is best. It would make life easier."

Ebony brows snapped downwards in an angry scowl and Yuri turned icy blue eyes on her friend. "Never! To forget my little Kagome would be the worst thing I could do! I feel—" Yuri paused and sighed resignedly. "I feel as though I deserve to suffer, as a punishment for not listening to her."

"You shouldn't do that to yourself," chided Athena and wrapped her arms around Yuri. "What happened was not your fault. It was Yuki… not you."

"Speaking of that sorry excuse for an elf," muttered Artie as she lit a cigarette, "Will Hiro ever punish Yuki for what he did to Yuri?"

"Are you kidding? Yuki is the crown prince, the heir apparent. Hiro would never allow scandal of that sort to touch him." Athena sounded bitter. "Although Hiro assured me that he gave him a stern lecture. How the hell do you do that? Reprimand someone who nearly murdered another person and allow them to walk away from any kind of responsibility? I told Hiro I wouldn't talk to him until I forgave him."

Taking a proffered cigarette from Artie, Yuri lit up and smiled ruefully. "That was right after it happened. Have you forgiven him yet?"

Athena shook her head sadly and swiped a little of the cake's icing from the base. "No, not yet," she replied and stuck her icing-covered fingertip in her mouth.

"And yet he keeps sending you letters begging you to speak to him," Artie chuckled as her eyes rested lovingly on her twin's face. "It's been five years, Athena. Perhaps it's time for you to forgive him. After all, Yuki _is_ his big brother."

Shaking her head, Athena took another swipe at the cake while Artie laughed out loud. "Look, Yuri, she's blushing! How cute!"

"Shut up, Artie." Athena glared at her sister.

"Well, at least talk to him to make him happy. Hiro misses you a lot, you know. Every time we meet he never fails to ask about you."

"No!" Athena's slim figure stiffened in anger. "I will not until he punishes Yuki for what he did! And I do not care a whit what Yuki is to him. That does not excuse his behavior!"

Artie rolled her eyes. "Who cares about Yuki anymore? He's cleaned up his behavior, he's stopped drinking, and he actually comes to court when summoned."

"But where is Kagome?" Athena burst out. "That child has been missing for five years and there is not one clue as to her whereabouts or her wellbeing."

Yuri raised her hand, surprising Athena. "If I know anything at all, I do know that Kagome is alive and well," she said quietly. "Your cousin may be many things, but he knows who she is and he would never do anything to hurt her."

"But he told Kagome that you had been killed! That child loved you and no doubt she was devastated when told her such a vicious lie! How is that not hurting her, Yuri? Don't tell me you actually forgive him?" cried Athena.

Yuri shook her head. "I don't and I don't think I ever will. What he did was hurtful to both her and myself but there is nothing I can do about that now. But I am assured that she is taken care of. All I can do is hope he continues to do so."

Frustrated, Athena looked away while Artie got up to cut a pieces of cake for herself and Yuri. "Back to Hiro," she began.

"I don't want to discuss him either," retorted her twin.

As Artemis stuck her fork into the moist chocolate cake and brought a nice bite-sized chunk towards her mouth she muttered: "You really ought to see him, Athena."

"Oh really? And why is that?" Athena walked toward the glass doors of Yuri's balcony. The sky outside was darkening and she could feel the rain gathering in the clouds. It would pour hard before nightfall.

As she enjoyed some of the birthday cake, Yuri grinned broadly and waited for Artie to respond. She already knew where Artie was going with this. The only one who didn't seemed to be Athena; at least, she refused to see it if she wasn't already aware.

"Hiro wants to spend some time with you."

"What on earth for?" was Athena's angry response.

"Well, he'd like to make sure you've forgiven him before he asks our parents if you would be his Empress."

"Empress?" Athena turned around to stare hard at her sister. "What do you mean? What are you talking about? Empress! Don't be ridiculous!"

Licking her lips of icing, Artie shrugged and set down her plate. "Hiro is in love with you, Athena. Didn't you know?"

"Who told you?"

"He did. He said that he has waited for you to grow up before he asked you to be his life mate. Just so you know there will be no other suitors for you, seeing as how the Emperor's suit takes precedence over all others." Artie grinned broadly. "All there is left is for you to say yes."

A look of horror flooded Athena's face. "But I'm not in the least suitable!" she protested weakly. "An empress should be… I mean, an empress is…"

"Well, he thinks you are very suitable. He's always loved you, you know. Even when we were small, he seemed to prefer your company to mine." Artie went to her sister and took her hands. "Hiro loves you, Athena," she said gently. "He worships the ground you walk on. No she-elf in the entire realm can make that claim about the Emperor, except you."

"But… Empress!" Athena, who had grown rather pale, did not seem to be able to take it all in.

"Yes, and you will make a fine one. Imagine how wonderful your life will be! You will be Empress to the elven race and the mate of an elf who loves you and wants you." Artie smiled reassuringly at her twin. "What an amazing adventure it will be!"

"What of you?" Athena asked, suddenly frightened. "I couldn't bear to be parted from you, Artie! What would I do without you?" On impulse she hugged her sister. "We've never been apart. I should be lost."

Shooting a wink at Yuri, Artie held her sister close. "Oh, we'll come up with some kind of arrangement. I'll live nearby, obviously, but I do have one request."

"Anything!"

Artie took a step back in order to look her sister in the eyes. "A harem."

Puzzled, Athena cocked her to the side. "A… harem?"

"Jesus Christ, Artie," Yuri groaned and stifled a laugh. She moved towards the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge. "Don't listen to her anymore, Athena. She's lost her mind."

"That's what I said. A harem. I think it is a meager compensation for losing my sister and closest friend in the world." Artie tilted her head back and regarded the ceiling. "I'd like some elf males, obviously, but please try to get a few youkai males too. The wilder the better."

Her twin stared, horrified, back at her. "Have you gone mad, Artemis? What do you want with wild youkai males for?"

From the kitchen, Yuri laughed loudly and Artie chuckled. "I have always wanted to tame a wild male youkai. Sorry, but it's something I've wanted to do for a very long time now. Call me sick, if you want—"

Yuri re-emerged from the kitchen with three ice-cold bottles of beer. "You're sick, Artie," she said and tossed one of the bottles at the tomboyish she-elf.

Artie caught the bottle deftly and removed the cap with her teeth. "Don't be jealous, Yuri, just because you want to tame a wild youkai—" she began but before she continued she took a swig of beer. "I forgot you _have_ a youkai you'd like to tame, don't you?" She winked at Yuri.

It was Yuri's turn to blush bright red. "Shut your face, Artie," she growled as she handed Athena a bottle.

"You really ought to talk to him," Athena told Yuri with a smile. "The problem with Dante is that he can be somewhat dense. He needs a strong woman to shake him up now and then."

A flash of lightning lit up darkened skies and a moment later the sound of thunder came, sending a small tremor through the building. Yuri chugged half of her beer before she spoke.

"I tried flirting with him a couple of times, but each time he brushed me off for another female." She glanced down at the glass bottle in her hand and rubbed a finger down its perspiring side. "Don't worry about me, guys. It doesn't matter. Nothing has changed in five years. He still doesn't see me as anything more than just a friend." She lifted the bottle and tipped it back, finishing the brew in two gulps. Setting the bottle down, she grabbed her pack of smokes off of the dining room table. "I'm going on the balcony for a smoke. Care to come along?"

She left before the twins could respond, but after finishing their drinks, they joined their friend out on the balcony to watch nature's light show.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine. But the OCs in this story are so don't steal them please!

Chapter 5

"Damn it all to hell!"

A tiny, silver-haired tornado stormed out of her parents' sitting room and headed furiously towards the portal room.

"Juno! I have not given you permission to leave!" Lord Sesshoumaru was walking quickly behind his eldest daughter, his long legs easily catching up to the pint-sized inu demoness. He reached out to grab her shoulder, but she swung around, slapping his hand away. "What the hell is the matter with you? Have you gone mad?" he cried, suddenly enraged.

But his rage all but evaporated when he saw the tears in his daughter's eyes streaming down her face. "Juno, sweetheart! What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" she screamed at him, her legs moving her away from him. "I knew you wanted to pair me off with a youkai lord, but _him_?"

Sesshoumaru blinked. He and Miranda both had confused by their daughter's sudden outburst of fury when they had informed her that the young youkai lord of a lesser inu clan had at last announced that he was ready to take her as a mate. Five years earlier, the young lord's ailing father had come to Sesshoumaru and the two had agreed to betroth their children to each other. At the time, Juno had accepted her fate with few complaints. But that was five years ago… and now that the time had come and the full force of reality had set in, sending Juno into a blind rage.

"Keitaro-sama is an exceptional young man," her father said, his face stone-like as he tried to suppress his temper. "Your mother and I have met him on several occasions and he is an intelligent, conscientious youkai. In these past five years he has grown and matured into a fine alpha male."

"But I don't want to be with him! We have nothing in common whatsoever and he's over a decade younger than me! You _do_ remember that once I become his mate, he won't allow me to continue working for the Corp? Since that's the case, I refuse to be his mate!"

"Juno—"

Juno wiped her eyes angrily with the back of her hands. "I am _not_ going to give up my career for some stupid male! Since you and Mom want grandkids so bad, why don't you force Dante take a mate?"

The stubborn, mulish look plastered all over Juno's face eerily reminded Sesshoumaru of Inuyasha when he was much younger. "Eventually he will, but for now—"

"But for now he doesn't have to because he's a boy and the eldest son to boot. His career is more important than mine, is that right?" she shot back. "It's because Dante is male and I am female and naturally that means I have no choice in the matter." Her amber eyes glowed with a hostile light. "Why don't you hold your son to the same standards as your daughter?"

"We _do_ hold him to the same standards as you, Juno," Sesshoumaru said through clenched teeth.

"Then why haven't you forced him to take a mate?" she demanded. "We're the same age and I have yet to hear of your choices of mate for him."

The Taiyoukai opened his mouth to speak when he felt a restraining hand on his arm. He glanced down and saw his mate, whose sweet face wore a calm expression.

"Juno," said Miranda gently, "what's the matter, dear one?"

Hearing the soothing sound of her mother's voice, Juno's anger vanished quickly but her tears returned. She shook her head.

Miranda moved forward and reaching out to her daughter, she touched Juno's face. "Something _is_ wrong, my love. What is it? Tell me. What is the _real_ reason you don't want to become Keitaro's mate?" she asked as her fingers began to stroke Juno's hair.

Sesshoumaru stood back and watched as his mate attempted to gain an answer from their eldest daughter. He had been taken aback at Juno's outburst, but he supposed he should have anticipated that her complacent attitude towards being mated to Keitaro would have changed in five years. This lack of foresight made him feel very out of touch with his children.

Then… a bombshell.

Gently, Juno pulled her mother's hands down and held them in her own. "I am involved with someone already," she said in a quiet voice.

"Oh." Miranda stared at her daughter, not knowing what to say.

"We're in love."

"I see." Miranda blinked and turned to look over her shoulder at her mate. "Sess?" she asked, shaking her head. "What do you want to do about this?"

Before Sesshoumaru could answer, Juno answered instead. "There isn't anything you can do about this," she told her mother.

The elf princess turned back to look at her daughter. "What about your betrothal to Keitaro? How shall we explain to him and his clan that the bride he is expecting will not be forthcoming?"

"You never should have fixed a joining between us," Juno said. "Did you and Dad never once think that I would find someone after all this time? Time changes things, Mom. _I've_ changed too."

"How long have you been seeing this person?" Sesshoumaru asked softly. His anger was slowly ebbing and he only felt slightly peeved at his tiny, headstrong offspring. Why hadn't Juno told them about her situation earlier?

"For nearly four years," Juno replied. She kissed her mother's hands. "I'm sorry I haven't said anything to you before now, but I wasn't certain how you would take it."

In the background, Sesshoumaru grunted in annoyance but Miranda smiled dotingly on her pretty, petite daughter. "Oh, sweetie, you can tell us anything! I only wish you had told us this before so all of this could have been avoided. But as long as you're happy, Juno, that will make us happy. So, who _are_ you seeing? When will we get to meet him?"

A strange look passed over Juno's face and she released her mother's hands. "Jillian is the person I'm seeing," she said quietly and quickly pressed her portal bracelet. Inwardly she was panicking. The mere presence of her parents was making her feel like a cornered animal. She had to get away.

"Jillian?" Sesshoumaru frowned. "What an odd name for a young man."

Behind Juno, the portal opened up and she backed up towards it. "That's because it's not the name of a young man, Dad. It's the name of a young woman. Her name is Jillian and she is the love of my life." She paused and stared resolutely at her mother and father. "I will understand if you never want to see me again."

As her stunned parents watched, their tearful daughter retreated through the swirling blue mists of the portal and vanished.

oooooooooo

When Juno arrived home, she immediately closed the portal and retreated to her bedroom, where she burst into tears on her bed. She hadn't been able to protect Jill's identity from her parents and cursed herself for it.

"Juno?"

Juno started and glanced up. Her heart began to race; it always did whenever she looked at Jill. "They know," she said, her lips trembling. "About us."

Jillian, who was tall and fair and clad in the long, sweeping robes indicative of her people, glided effortlessly across the room to join her youkai lover on their bed. "Your parents would have found out about us eventually," she said soothingly and pressed a kiss on Juno's forehead. "What did they say when they found out?"

"I don't know. I didn't stay around long enough to find out." Juno hung her head in shame. "But it doesn't matter now. They probably hate me."

"No, I don't think they do. Your mother is one of the kindest beings of my race, Juno. She would never hate her own children, no matter what."

When Juno did not answer, Jillian cupped her lover's face and gently kissed her lips. "I love you, my silver-haired goddess," she whispered. "No matter what."

"And I love you," growled Juno and shoved Jillian backwards onto the bed. Straddling the she-elf's thighs, Juno parted Jillian's robe, exposing smooth, creamy breasts which were marked here and there with small red bite marks. _Her_ marks. "You are so beautiful," she panted, her breath catching in her chest. She leaned down and pressed a kiss in the valley between Jillian's breasts. "I can't get enough of you, Jill. You drive me crazy. Do you have to go anywhere? Because I have to have you, like right now."

Jillian laughed softly and buried her fingers in Juno's hair. "You can have me, but not right now. Sorry," she said with an apologetic smile.

Juno groaned and pressed her face against Jillian's bared chest, her body sagging dejectedly. "Oh, c'mon! Please don't tell me that," she begged. "I need to make love to you. Today was a really bad day for me and you are my stress reliever."

"I never said you couldn't, baby," Jillian replied. She stroked Juno's hair softly. "Just not right this minute."

"Why not?"

"Because I have to go."

A low, possessive growl reverberated throughout the room. "Where?" Juno demanded irritably.

Exasperated, Jillian sighed. She was used to Juno's jealous, possessive nature but it did irk her at times. "Oh, please. You can't get mad at me because I told you this _last week_, Juno. My little sister has been accepted to an all-girls school in Hawaii, remember? She and my parents want me to go with them to see her settled."

The growling stopped. "Oh."

"Yeah."

With a sheepish look on her red face, Juno straightened and moved off of Jillian's body. "Sorry, Jill."

"It's okay." Jillian sat up too and got to her feet. "Don't be so sad, beloved. I'll be back tomorrow and then you can do whatever you want to me. Okay?" She reached over and lightly brushed long, silvery strands of Juno's hair back from her face. "I want to be able to spend as much time on you without worrying about appointments and other things. I don't want any distractions."

"That's easy for you to say. You _are_ a distraction." Juno stared up at her, desire darkening her yellow eyes. "But I want you _now_," she said firmly and took hold of Jillian's robe, pulling it open. Her gaze slid down Jillian's lithe, supple—_and very naked_— body. She leaned forward to press a kiss on Jillian's flat belly just below her navel. "I love it when you wear nothing under your robes," she murmured against the elf's soft flesh. Breathing in the light scent of the elf's freshly bathed skin, Juno slid her left hand up Jillian's right leg until it rested on her hip, while her right hand slipped between her lover's silken thighs. She guided Jillian onto her back on the bed and moved down between her long legs.

With her eyes closed in ecstasy, the she-elf moaned and squirmed beneath Juno's ministrations. "No, Juno! Please don't… I… I'm going… to be… late…" she gasped. Her hands moved restlessly on the comforter beneath her, but she gave up trying to resist Juno and her hands searched for and found Juno's head.

Ceasing for the moment what she was doing to her lover, Juno smirked with self-satisfaction when Jillian begged for her not to stop. "I think you're about to be right on time," she said as her mouth returned to what it was doing.

ooo

After Jillian had left to meet her family, a very sated Juno lay in bed, smoking. Her mind was still what had just happened between herself and Jillian. Was it her imagination, or did the sex just get hotter every time they engaged in it? Both of them had been involved with men before, but neither of them found the sex very interesting or indeed, appealing in any way.

For a long time, Juno stared up at the ceiling, a smile on her lips. She was so thankful to have found Jill. By the time the elf had come into her life, Juno had had to force herself to get over her first love, which was Yuri. But the road to recovery had been a terrible struggle. For as long as she could remember, she had always had a crush on her childhood friend. As soon as they discovered what sex was, Juno had daydreamed constantly about having sex with Yuri. Of course, she had also fantasized about having sex with Yuri's father—Yuri's _dead_ father— which made for extremely awkward moments when she was alone with Yuri. There had been too many times when she had masturbated in the middle of the night, thinking of Yuri and her father simultaneously when orgasm overcame her.

Later on when she, Yuri and Dante turned eighteen, all three went off to basic training in the Slayer Corp. Even though there were times when Juno found herself surrounded by naked and very fit female bodies, the only one she ever wanted was Yuri's… for she loved tall, slender, dark-haired women.

It was during this time when Juno realized that—although they were close—Yuri did not reciprocate her feelings. Instead, Juno discovered a more painful realization. _Yuri was in love with Dante._ The knowledge hurt Juno deeply, but it was not altogether a surprise. Dante and Yuri had always been good friends so it was little wonder that at least one should have fallen in love with the other. But on the night of graduation from basic, Juno had taken from Yuri what Yuri had so desperately wanted to offer to Dante.

At that moment, Juno's stomach growled hungrily. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the mattress, as she took one last drag of her cigarette before stubbing it out in the glass ashtray on the little table by the bed.

When her sister Artemis had forced her to admit to her bisexuality, Juno had not been completely honest. True, Yuri may have forgotten that night… but Juno had not.

She closed her eyes, her mind going back many years in time… back to a cheap hotel room on a hot June night in California. Liquor bottles were on the floor and on the bedside tables— some empty, some full— the remains of a celebration marking the end of one long, tortuous year.

Yuri was lying on her back on the king-sized bed and she was giggling drunkenly at some television show. Her long, slim, and very well-toned body was stretched out full length on the bed. She was clad in nothing more than a pair of navy blue boy shorts and a clingy white tank top.

Juno opened her eyes, her mouth dry. Yuri had had no clue in that moment, at the riot of emotions that roiled through her companion's head. But it did not take long for Juno to make up her mind to show Yuri what she was thinking, because she would be damned if she let anyone else have Yuri first.

The alcohol slowed Yuri's normally lightening fast reflexes when Juno had leaned over to kiss her.

"Juno? What are you doing?" she had asked, her words slurring. Her flushed face and bright, glassy blue eyes had registered surprise. She grew even more surprised when Juno climbed on top of her, her legs straddling Yuri's hips.

"Don't," Juno whispered urgently. Her heart was racing. Yuri was the most exquisite woman she had ever seen, with her silken ebony hair spread over her pillow like a fan. "Please don't turn me away." She slipped her hands beneath Yuri's flimsy shirt and gently touched her breasts, her fingertips brushing lightly across her nipples. "I have always wanted you," she said as she lifted Yuri's shirt up, exposing her soft mounds of flesh. Her breath caught in her chest. She had always loved Yuri's flawless alabaster skin which somehow managed to resist turning brown beneath the golden rays of the California sun. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world." Juno leaned forward and kissed Yuri passionately.

To Juno's delight, Yuri's hesitation vanished and she began respond to Juno's attentions with equal passion.

Afterwards, when Yuri was sleeping heavily in Juno's arms, the silver-haired demoness debated on whether or not to mark Yuri as her own. Several times she had come close, placing the tips of her fangs against Yuri's slim shoulder. But at last she decided against it, knowing that Yuri would be furious at her for taking advantage of her in her drunken state. If she woke up and found out that she had a mating mark on her… well… that would not be a good thing at all. Yuri would have no hesitation in beating her to within an inch of her life… and she would be able to do that easily. Yuri was an alpha female, while Juno was not.

Heavens, what an amazing night that had been! Now she was thankful she hadn't marked Yuri, for she was very much in love with Jill. Jill had been instrumental in helping Juno finally make it over that last hurdle and get over her desire for Yuri.

Again, Juno's stomach growled. Damn, she was hungry.

As she padded through her house towards the kitchen, Jill crossed her mind and she smiled. She could not wait until Jill came back home.

ooooooooooooooo

Two weeks passed since Jillian had gone to Hawaii with her family when she came home from a day of shopping, very excited.

"Baby?" she called out the moment she stepped through the portal into the home they shared together. "Juno, are you home?"

Juno came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a small towel. "Hi, babe," she greeted her lover with a smile and came over to kiss her. "Mmm. You're excited about something. What is it?"

Jill grinned broadly and kissed Juno again. "I got a job."

"Hey, that's great." Juno frowned slightly at the words and pulled away from her girlfriend. "But I thought we went over this already. There is no need for you to have to earn an income, babe. You know I make enough for the both of us."

"I know, sweetie, but it was an offer I couldn't refuse." She took Juno by the hand and pulled her to the living room and sat her down on the sofa. "Guess who I ran into today?" she asked, sitting down beside Juno.

Juno lifted a skeptical silver eyebrow. "An offer you couldn't refuse, huh? Hmm. Was it Don Corleone?"

Jill laughed. "Don't be absurd, Juno." She leaned forward. "I met your mother."

Juno's face froze. "My mom? What happened? What did she say? How did she treat you?"

Jill threw back her head and laughed. "Didn't I tell you not to worry? Your mother greeted me with warmth. She wanted me to tell you that both she and your father miss you very much and that they were happy you found someone to love—" She leaned forward again and kissed Juno deeply. "— and that you found someone to love you back."

The next few minutes were spent in silence. When they came up for air, Juno groaned.

"Why did you stop?" she pouted. "Damn it, Jill! I hate it when you get me all turned on and then you pull away. Finish what you start. Let's go to the bedroom—"

"No, Juno! I still haven't told you what happened with your mom."

Juno scowled and pressed her face against Jill's neck. "No, tell me later. I need you now."

"Oh Juno, I swear!" Jill pushed her girlfriend away, but giggled when Juno lunged forward and nipped playfully at her throat. "Okay, okay! In a minute. Now may I please tell you the rest of the conversation?"

With a grunt that bespoke of her dissatisfaction, Juno sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Go on, let's hear it."

"Thank you. Anyway, we got to talking of other things and she brought up the subject of your cousin Akira."

Juno frowned. "Akira? What about him? Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine but she was looking for a caretaker for him. Apparently, he's gone through many nurses over the years. The weird thing is, they have all have left out abruptly, as though they feared him. At least, that is the conclusion she came up with."

"How strange. Why should anyone fear Akira?" Juno asked, puzzled. "For heaven's sake, he's only sleeping. What harm could he possibly do to anyone?"

As though she feared being overheard, Jillian lowered her voice. "From what your mother said, the reason they are all scared of him is because he killed Yuri's mother."

The mention of Yuri's name made Juno's heart skip a beat, but it was what Jill had said that made her heartbeats increase. "Akira killed Yuri's mom? Kagome?" she asked incredulously. She had not known that. "Oh my god. How awful."

Jillian nodded somberly. "Yes, and that is why all his nurses were afraid of him. She says they were afraid he might wake up and kill them too."

"That's ridiculous. He's in a coma."

"I know; that's what I said too. But nothing bad has ever befallen them and your mom believes that the power of suggestion is to blame. Well, that and rampant rumors. She says people are unnecessarily afraid of him when he was one of the gentlest elves she has ever known."

"Okay, I get that, but where does this job come into it?"

Jill's eyes glowed happily. "Since the last nurse just left, there is no one to care for him during the day. She said she could sense that I was in need of something to do—"

Juno leaned forward and pressed her face against Jill's breasts. "Come with me and I'll give you something to do," she murmured heatedly.

"_Juno_!" Jill cried with exasperation.

Juno sighed and moved away, her hands up in the sign of surrender. "Okay, okay. Sorry."

"That's better. My goodness, you are so impatient. As I was saying, she could sense I wanted to do more with my life and offered me a healthy sum if I would be his caretaker. So I said yes."

"I see." Juno got up and began pacing right in front of Jillian. "I really wish you would have asked what I thought first _before_ you agreed to this."

"You would have told me no," Jillian replied quietly. "I love you, Juno and I want nothing more than to spend my life with you. But I can't just sit on the sidelines as you put your life on the line while I sit at home and do nothing." She got to her feet and went to lover's side. "I _want_ to have something to do when you go on assignment. I get so bored and lonely without you. Also, I need something to keep my mind off the fact that you're forced to spend time with _her_."

By now, Juno had ceased her pacing and turned to face her beloved. "Are you still jealous of Yuri?"

Jill swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes. She is very beautiful, Juno, and I can still remember how deeply you loved and wanted her. Even now, I think you still feel attracted to her." She hated letting Juno know of this weakness in her, but she also hated feeling as though she must hide her true feelings from her lover. Juno had always asked for complete honesty from her and in return, Juno would always be completely honest with her.

Juno's yellow eyes glowed with tenderness and love as she stared up into her girlfriend's face. "There will always be a part of me that loves Yuri," she said softly as her arms slid around Jill's waist. "But it's you who makes my heart pound. It's you who turns me on and it's only you who I want to spend the rest of my life with. You're not just my lover, Jill, you're my best friend. I can't see my life without you."

This time Jill did not protest when Juno pushed her back down onto the sofa and began opening her shirt with slow, loving hands. She moaned with pleasure as Juno's hands cupped her bare breasts.

"What more do I need to do to prove my love to you?" asked Juno, her breath hot in Jillian's ear.

The she-elf ripped Juno's shirt off her torso. "Nothing," she panted. "Make love to me, Juno. I need you."

"I plan to do more than that."

The pain of being marked was not nearly as bad as Jillian had imagined it would be… but the sex had been hotter, far more powerful than it had ever been. She was ecstatic knowing that the bond they shared had gone deeper than she had ever thought possible. Even better, she belonged to Juno.

Her gaze shifted to the silver head that lay close to hers. Their gazes locked and for one thrilling moment, Jillian realized that she could sense everything that her lover was feeling and thinking. It was an incredible sensation and more than she expected a bond between them could ever be and, still reveling in the warmth and closeness of her lover's body, she drifted off into a deep, contented sleep.

Juno smiled lovingly into Jillian's eyes and watched as the she-elf fell asleep. As soon as her eyes closed, however, Juno's smiled faded all together.

Somehow, the mating had not been completed. Was it because she was not male? Perhaps. At the very least, she should be able to access her lover's thoughts… but that was not the case. Although she could see the joy in Jillian's face, Juno could not feel the bond that was supposed to occur during the mating ritual.

And that was a very troubling thought.

_Three years later…_

The weather in Oahu was divine on this warm September Saturday afternoon. Above the beautiful Hawaiian isle was a cloudless blue sky and below, the waters of Waikiki beach were amazingly clear and just as blue as the vast sky overhead.

Down below, in the teachers' courtyard of the exclusive Pualani Academy for Girls, sat a rather impatient teenage girl on a weather-worn stone bench. The girl kept glancing down at her wristwatch; the others wouldn't be back for at least another few hours but she did not want to take the chance of being caught. Especially here, where none of the students were permitted to be.

Shaking herself, she sighed and told herself not to worry so much. Labor Day weekend had only begun today and only a handful of students—those who were not American like Kagome— and a couple of teachers had remained behind and they all had taken off to spend the afternoon down at the famous Waikiki beach.

A part of her regretted not going out with her classmates, for she enjoyed going to the beach. Worse, she hated herself for lying to her teacher about feeling ill, but there would be no other opportunity, at least until her senior year which was in two years, when she be given permission to—

The sound of feet running lightly towards the stone garden wall behind her sent a wave of giddy expectation flooding through her. He was here at last!

There was a grunt and a pair of hands suddenly appeared on the top of the old stone wall. The hands were soon followed by a dark head, which was then followed by a very athletic body. The boy pulled himself over and dropped down lightly on the other side near to where she was standing.

"Jacob," she whispered and felt suddenly shy. It had been nearly two weeks since she had seen him. Her biology class had gone on a field trip to the Paiko Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary at the same time his biology class had. Their teachers were apparently very good friends and had managed to schedule their field trips to the sanctuary at the same time. When her class arrived at their destination, she was considerably surprised to see the male students from the Okalani Academy milling about. Her teacher and the teacher from Okalani greeted each other effusively and both motioned for their pupils to fall in line.

A soft touch on the back of her arm caused Kagome to turn around to see who touched her. A pair of dark smiling eyes greeted her warmly. That day had been one of the most wonderful days of her life.

At this moment those same dark eyes glowed down at her. Jacob was smiling as he reached out to touch her face. "Kagome," he said and took her hand in his. "I'm so glad. I thought you'd never write me back."

She smiled up at him. "Exchanging notes when you share a class is simple. But exchanging notes when the writers go to different schools…" She trailed off with a shrug.

"Yeah, it's not so easy."

"Yeah."

They smiled at each other with lovestricken looks in their eyes until Jacob spoke.

"I sure wish we could go on more field trips together." He paused then added softly: "I've liked you for a long time, Kagome."

"I've liked you for a long time too, Jacob." How handsome he was, she thought happily. All the girls at her school—_even that stuck-up cow, Elizabeth Moore_— thought that Jacob Cyrano was one of the most attractive guys at his school, the Okalani Academy for Boys, which was less than a mile from its sister school, the Pualani Academy.

He lifted the hand he held up to his lips and kissed it. "In two years we can start going out. I mean really going out, like on dates and stuff," he said softly and bowed his head humbly. His dark hair tumbled adorably across his forehead. "I've wanted to be with you ever since the day I first saw you."

His words and the look in his gentle brown eyes made Kagome blush furiously. She, of course, remembered that day very well. It had been just six months ago when she first met Jacob. During spring break earlier that year she and some other girls who had remained at school during that week had all gone to Waikiki Beach. She and her best friend strolled leisurely along the sand and talked as the waves lapped at their feet while on the crowded beach, a couple of boys about their age were throwing a football around. Her friend commented on them, pointing out that she'd seen both of them before at a football game between rival all-male schools. These two went to Okalani Academy, her friend had said.

Kagome, who initially had not given them more than a passing glance, decided to look more carefully at them. One was fair-haired and light-skinned, of medium height with a powerful, muscular frame. The other boy—who was waving his hands in the air and waiting for his friend to throw the football at him—was taller with an equally athletic build was graced with dark, glossy hair and a golden tan. But his back was to her so she could not see his face.

The blond boy cocked his arm back and threw the football, but it was not aimed well and came hurtling towards Kagome and her friend. The dark haired boy went after it and instead of catching it his body twisted and he collided into Kagome. They both fell to the ground and the wind was knocked out of Kagome. When Kagome was finally able to catch her breath, she found herself flat on her back in the surf with a very good-looking guy lying on top of her and uttering as many apologies as his tongue could manage.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" he asked as soon as he realized she had come to herself. "I am so very sorry! I didn't know you were right behind me! I'm sorry! Really! Gosh, I'm so sorry!"

But Kagome could only stare at the anxious face above hers and wonder how she could have gotten so lucky. He was simply mouth-watering.

"Don't worry about it," she told him with a shaky smile. "I'm okay."

He helped her to her feet and Kagome expected him to take his leave of her, but he remained, his dark eyes never leaving her face. Even when his friend jogged over and asked him where the ball had gone, he still stared at her.

"Hey Jacob," said the blond boy, who poked him in the shoulder, "where's my ball at, man? And what the hell was that? That was an easy throw. How come you didn't catch it?"

Jacob's dark eyes seemed to glow then and when a slow smile began to spread over his face, Kagome felt her face grow warm. "I caught something much better than a football, Richard."

That day on the beach had been one of the most memorable of Kagome's life… and it had begun a new chapter as well. After that day, they had managed to stay in touch through letters smuggled in by senior classmen, who were the only students allowed to leave and spend the day outside the school without a teacher playing chaperone.

Shyness overcame her and she turned her face from his, but he hooked his finger beneath her chin and forced her to look at him. "Don't," he whispered. "I like seeing you with your face so pink. It's pretty." His fingers trailed along the side of her face. "_You_ are so pretty."

She opened her mouth to speak when he leaned over suddenly and kissed her. For the longest moment, Kagome had no idea what to do. It was her first kiss. How was one to react to their first kiss? Her mind had gone numb but her body felt as though thousands of little lightning bolts were zipping through her, electrifying every part of her.

When his arms went around her, she responded in kind. Without thinking, she slipped her hands up his chest and cradled his head as her fingers threaded themselves up into his soft black hair.

"Oh, Kagome," he breathed against her mouth and deepened the kiss, as his body pushed hers up against the garden wall. "Be my girlfriend. Please?"

All her senses were dancing wildly now; her body burned with desire for him. Never had she imagined that such powerful emotions existed.

"Yes," was her breathy response when his lips released hers. But it was only long enough for her to reply and take a breath before he was kissing her again.

Then all of a sudden Jacob was gone and Kagome's eyes flew open to see what had happened to him.

In the space of a moment, Kagome's face had gone from a lovely blushing pink to a horrid blanched white. Jacob was only a few feet away with a powerful hand clamped to the back of his neck. The hand, Kagome noted sickly, belong to a tall and very angry-looking blond man.

"Y-Yuki-sama!" she cried weakly but her eyes were on Jacob's face. At that moment, he looked like a scared little boy beside her well-dressed and elegant guardian.

It seemed to Kagome that it took Yuki-sama some time to calm down enough before he trusted himself enough to speak. When he did, she felt even more ill.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he asked, his words flowing over her like ice cold water. "I get a message from the headmistress, informing me that my ward is feeling unwell. Naturally I am concerned, so I come to see her for myself and maybe to heal her. On the way here I'm worrying if she's caught the flu or a cold, but no. No, no. Apparently," continued the elf in his chilly, tightly-controlled voice, "what afflicts her is something completely different. I may be wrong, but it looks to me like some kind of enormous parasite that attempted to make its home on her lips." Yuki shook Jacob rather roughly.

"Stop it!" cried Kagome, throwing out her hands to her guardian when he shook Jacob. "Leave him alone!"

"What do you think you're doing, Kagome?" Yuki asked of his ward. "You're only fifteen and yet you're about to throw yourself away on this… this… _boy_?" he sneered. Yuki shook Jacob again. "He is not worthy of you and never will be."

"He isn't worthy of me?" asked Kagome. "How can you say that? You don't even know him!"

"Do not be foolish, child. It was obvious, the way he was kissing you, holding you. All he wants to do is use you and throw you away."

Kagome began to cry and shook her head vehemently. "No, that's not true! You have no idea what he is really like! You know nothing about him! He would never hurt me!"

"You are but a child and know nothing of the ways of men. He would hurt you, my little darling," Yuki said grimly. His eyes shifted to the human in his grip and his gaze hardened. "Wouldn't you?"

"N-no, sir," Jacob whimpered.

"Speak up, boy!" Yuki's fingers gripped harder.

The pain of the elf's hand on him seemed to anger Jacob, for he said, as loudly as he could, "No, sir, that isn't true! I love Kagome and she loves me."

Yuki, who was very near to snapping the kid's neck in half for daring to profess his love for her, shoved him toward the grey stone wall behind Kagome. "Leave us, Kagome," he commanded.

"No."

The elf shot a look at his ward and was surprised to see her glaring defiantly back at him. In all the years he had known her, Kagome had always been a docile, agreeable girl, with the prettiest manners he had ever seen. Never had she refused to do anything he asked of her. Never, that is, until now.

"I told you to go," he said calmly. "Your friend and I are going to have a little chat. Man-to-man, so to speak."

"And I said no," she replied curtly. "I am going to stay right here to make sure you don't hurt him any more than you have already."

"Kagome—" he began, his temper rising dangerously. But his rage nearly sent him into overload when she simply positioned her body between him and his target. Through gritted teeth he managed to say: "Get out of here and go to your room. I will deal with you later."

"I will not." Without taking her eyes off her guardian, Kagome felt behind her for Jacob. When his hand touched hers, she sighed. "Get out of here," she said to him in a low voice. To Yuki she said: "If there is any blame here, it is mine. I asked him to come here and I was the one who initiated the kiss. Don't take out your anger on him, Yuki-sama. I am the one at fault."

"I'll write you later," whispered Jacob into her ear before she heard him scramble up the wall and leap over to the other side.

When the sound of his running feet died away, the only noise there in the garden was the sound of the wind as it rustled through the leaves in the trees that surrounded them. To Kagome, this moment with her fuming guardian in the garden seemed to go on forever. For a long time neither spoke nor did they break their gaze upon each other. For one insane moment Kagome wondered if this was how a duel in the Old West between two gunslingers must have felt, with each man staring hard at the other and both watching intently for signs of the slightest movement which would signal for the reaching of a gun.

It was Yuki who spoke first. "He's gone," he said, his voice tense. "You can relax now."

That was exactly what Kagome did. The moment her body sagged, she looked for the stone bench she'd sat upon earlier and gratefully sank down upon it. Her hands were shaking, she noticed with some dismay. Of course they would shake… for she had never confronted Yuki-sama before. It had been a long time since she had seen him this angry. At this moment his aura was a madly swirling mixture of muddy red and dark green. Anger and resentment. Funny. Those were the exact same colors of his aura whenever her cousin Yuri had come to see her.

Kagome blinked rapidly to keep her tears at bay. She couldn't let Yuki-sama know, that even after all this time, she missed her dead cousin dearly. He would not like that one bit.

He remained standing, his gazed fixed on her, never wavering. It unnerved her, the intense way he stared at her, with those brilliant green eyes he possessed.

"I'm sorry," she told him softly. "I… I never meant for you to see that."

"I'm glad I did," was his swift, angry reply. "When did you plan on informing me that you were seeing him? Didn't you think that I, of all people, should deserve to know what's going on in your life? I'm your guardian, damn it. I'm responsible for you."

She turned her face up to his, her eyes pleading. "Why are you so angry? I would have told you about him eventually—"

"Oh, really? When?" he interrupted, his voice brusque.

"Eventually, I said!" she snapped at him and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. A shocked, hurt look passed over her guardian's handsome features and Kagome began to cry again. "I—I'm sorry," she said. Then with a sob, she hung her head and hid her face in her hands. "Forgive me, Yuki-sama. I did not mean to speak so rudely to you."

Within the space of a breath, Kagome felt Yuki move in front of her and when she lifted her head she saw that he knelt on one knee before her. "Yuki-sama?" She had not even heard the sound of his shoes on the cobblestone pathway.

His hands took hers and he brought them to his lips, where his lips lightly brushed her knuckles. "And you must forgive me, Kagome, for speaking so harshly to you. I'm afraid I let my emotions get the better of me."

She gazed into his eyes, those lovely green eyes that always easily hypnotized her, and saw that he truly _was_ sorry. But it was the look of regret in his beautiful face and in those captivating emerald eyes that sent a wave of guilt coursing through her, making her feel as though she had just committed a crime against him. If the truth be told, for him to find out about her kissing a boy was not what she wanted to have happened. No, that was not quite the right way to phrase that statement. No. For Yuki-sama to _see_ her kissing another _man_… Yes, that was the right way to put it. But why she should feel that way, she had no idea. It wasn't as if she was in love with Yuki-sama. She felt nothing for him in that way. Why should she? Was he not her guardian? Indeed, the only father she had ever known? She loved him— yes— as far as a daughter's love for her father should go, but that was all.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. What the hell was wrong with her? Where were all these strange thoughts coming from?

In the end, it was his silky smooth voice that cleared her head of its jumbled thoughts. Since she was a child, she had loved the sound of his voice even though it had not always been kind. It soothed her, frightened her, and for some reason it was familiar to her. It called to her, its lovely, dulcet tones plucked at her heart, making her want to submit to him.

He spoke, his honeyed voice wrapping itself around her like a blanket of warm, seductive silk. "What's the matter, dearest? Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes," she answered and again that feeling of guilt assailed her. Oh, that face. She loved his beautiful face but his look of concern was affecting her more than she thought possible. Well, that and his voice. Heartily she wished that he would stop speaking to her. The sound of his voice was more than she could bear. "Are you still angry with me?" she asked him meekly and mentally kicked herself for saying something that required an answer.

Yuki-sama's gaze dropped down to her hands, which were still clasped in his. "No, not any longer. I never want to get mad at you, Kagome. Please don't ever anger me like that again." His smooth forehead furrowed slightly in his distress. "I did not care for the way it made me feel."

Her heart began to pound. The way he was looking at her was making her tremble. "Don't anger you again?" she asked, desperately trying to keep from falling under his spell. For surely that was what he was doing, wasn't it? The reason she felt so weak before him was because he was casting a spell on her—like he seemed to do to all women. This did not sit well with Kagome because for so long she had felt herself immune to him. But it seemed that the older she became the more open and vulnerable she felt in his company.

His eyes searched her face beseechingly. "Yes, that's right. Seeing you in that boy's arms did not please me at all. Don't do it again. I beg of you. Promise me you won't see him again."

She looked away, unable to stand the look in those captivating emerald eyes. Why did he have to look at her that way? And why did he have to make her feel so oddly? She did not like feeling this way. It felt… _wrong_. If she were honest with herself, she would admit that a part of her wanted him, oh yes. She did want him. Who wouldn't, as beautiful as he was? But it was not right for her to want him. She was not supposed to want him because…

Kagome frowned. Because? Because what?

"Kagome?" Yuki sounded concerned. "You don't look well, sweetheart."

"I don't feel quite myself," she admitted weakly. "May I go now? I need to lie down." Anything to remove myself from your intoxicating presence, she added silently.

"Sure," said her guardian, giving her a tender smile. "Besides, I do believe I read a sign at the entrance forbidding students inside this garden. You've certainly been a naughty girl today, haven't you?" He laughed softly.

His gentle laughter told Kagome that he meant no meanness in what he said.

"Yes, that's me. Little Miss Rule-Breaker," she murmured sourly.

He laughed again, rose, and helped her to her feet before he led her out of the garden and off to her room.

oooooooo

In an attempt to clear his head from the unpleasant incident the day before, Yuki called on his mother. A tentative sigh escaped Yuki as his hand reached out for the doorknob. He was standing outside the rooms where his mother was… _well_… essentially where she was kept. It was not a pleasant thing to admit, knowing that the woman who had given birth to you needed to be locked up as though she were some kind of dangerous beast.

After a long, contemplative moment, Yuki's hand came to rest on the cold metal knob but still he was hesitant to turn it. It wasn't that he was afraid of his mother for he knew she would never harm him.

He laughed silently. Yeah, of course he wasn't afraid of his own mother. At least, that was what he told himself since… well, since the last time. She had changed; there was no question about that… _especially_ since the last time.

Taking a deep breath, Yuki took a firm hold onto his courage and opened the door.

"Hello, mother," he greeted her as cheerfully as he could, although inwardly he winced. Many years before, Yuki had taken Hiro's advice and took steps to try to extricate himself from their mother's clinging grip. It had not been a simple task; she had taken his pleas for space to mean that he wanted nothing to do with her. As a result, she had withdrawn from society and retreated to this part of their world, where very few souls dwelled. The only person who looked after her was James, Lady Miranda's former retainer.

James materialized from the corner of the room to remove a tray from a small table near Rini's divan. As he headed for the door, he glanced at Yuki who asked, "How is she today?"

The older male stopped in front of Yuki. "The same as always, Your Highness," he said in his clipped, efficient British accent.

"I see." Yuki rubbed his chin. "Has Hiro stopped by to see her?"

James shook his head. "No, Your Highness, he has not. But then, even if he had, I do not believe my lady would receive him. She has instructed me to turn away all visitors, even your father and the Emperor Hiro." He glanced back over his shoulder at the she-elf and he lowered his voice conspiratorially. "All, that is, except for you. I must say your visit today has been most well-timed. The Lady Rini has been asking for you. Do not worry; she should not be a problem today." With a slight bow, James exited the room, leaving Yuki alone with his mother.

It took all he had not to run after James to call him back. He really did not relish the idea of being alone in the same room with her. But James told him that she wouldn't be a problem and he had complete faith in James. So what was he worried about?

Courage filled him again and he was able to walk a few more steps into the room. His mother's chambers were quite spacious, lovingly decorated in calming colors by his father, Hiro and himself, and was filled with the most luxurious furniture created by elven hands. On a divan, which was situated on the balcony so as to allow the sitter an unhindered view of the bright, blue ocean and sun-drenched white sands beyond, was the still form of Lady Rini, princess of the Elven realm. As soon as his gaze settled on her face, his heart began to ache. Elves, he thought, were incredibly fortunate beings. They had looks which would never fade and Lady Rini certainly possessed a beauty that seemed only to grow with age.

She lay motionless on her divan, her golden hair flowing loose over her shoulders and framing her exquisite face. Her large blue eyes stared fixedly before her.

"Mother? Are you sleeping?" Stealthily, Yuki moved closer to her but he did not dare get too close. Indeed, he wish to summon James back into the room came back a hundred fold. He remembered— with dreadful clarity— what had happened the last time he moved within arm's length of her.

The elf princess continued to stare sightlessly out over the impossibly blue ocean. One of her hands drifted lazily across her lap until her fingers gripped a little portion of the sky blue gown she was wearing. There was belt of delicate gold braid which encircled her slim waist. It shifted slightly as she sat up a bit. "I was. But then I heard the voice of my most beloved one and I instantly came awake." Slowly she turned her eyes up to meet his gaze and a radiant smile— one Yuki had not seen from his mother in a long time— was bestowed upon him. "You came to see me, my love," she said, her eyes filled with adoration.

He steeled his face. It would not do to give too much away and rile her up. Aloud he said: "Yes, of course I did, Mother. How are you feeling? James said that you have been turning people away. Why is that?"

Rini's worshipping gaze never left her son's face. "I have no desire to see anyone," she told him and held out her hand to him, "except you. You are all I need, my son. My beautiful, wonderful son. You are the most wonderful son anyone could ever hope to have."

Yuki glanced suspiciously down at her outstretched hand. He knew better than to take that hand, so pale, fragile and harmless in appearance. There had been a time long ago, when he would have gripped that hand to his breast and kissed it. But now—

He stood his ground and thrust his hands into the front pockets of his trousers to resist the temptation of taking his mother's hand. "You shouldn't push people away, Mother. It isn't polite."

"I don't care about other people, Yuki. Take my hand." The words were softly uttered, but Yuki could detect a chilling undertone of command in her voice.

He looked back at his mother's face. Her blue eyes burned bright and feverish in her too-thin but still beautiful face and Yuki felt a pang of anxiety shoot through him. She looked worse than she had the last time he came to see her. Even with James attending to her every need, she was apparently wasting away.

"No, Mother. I won't." Even as he said those words, he felt awash in regret. _'She is still your mother,'_ his heart told him.

Rini's smile faltered at his answer and it faded just a little. "Why not, Yuki?" she asked him. Her lower lip trembled slightly. "Don't you love me anymore?"

"It isn't that," he replied and to keep from having to look at her disappointed face, Yuki retreated to the open doors of the balcony where he lit a cigarette. "You know I love you."

"Then what? What is it?"

For a long moment he stood quite still, staring out over the white sandy beach and the turquoise sea that sparkled brilliantly in the bright sunshine. The ocean breeze blew in through open doors and he inhaled deeply. Yuki loved the smell of the ocean.

"You know what it is. And don't say you don't know what I'm talking about, either. You know _exactly_ why I refuse to take your hand."

Laughter was the very last thing he anticipated coming out of his mother's mouth. But there she was, laughing heartily at him.

"You're being ridiculous!" she crowed jubilantly. "Now don't be silly, my love. Come, take my hand."

Her flippant manner over her unacceptable conduct on the previous visit infuriated Yuki. He whirled around to face her. To bring up this subject, even with her, was not something he took pleasure in doing. But he needed to. She needed to know what he was feeling.

He exhaled forcefully, the smoke shooting from his nostrils in two quick jets. "So this is a joke to you? You think this situation is funny? Do you remember what you tried to do to me the last time I came to see you?" Yuki gritted his teeth in his attempt to keep his cool. "You attempted to force me to have sex with you, goddamn it! If you've forgotten, let me remind you of one glaring fact here. _You— are— my— mother_." Anger punctuated each word.

And yet she continued to laugh. It was not the joyful, light-hearted laugh of one relishing an amusing joke. This was the dark laughter of one who was dangerously insane.

When his words did not appear to sink in, Yuki straightened up to his full height. It took all his willpower to keep from tossing his cigarette away so he could have both hands free to throttle her. In a voice taut with anger he said: "Excuse me if I don't find your pathetic attempt at humor in the least bit amusing."

He nearly vomited at the memory. His own mother had _very_ nearly succeeded in raping him. The only reason she hadn't managed to do so was due to her caretaker's diligence. James had rescued him just in time. It was true that Yuki was a strong elf, but she was much older and far more powerful than he was. If she got her hands on him again, he knew he would be fighting a losing battle. No elf in their right mind would attempt to take on another elf older than they. Yuki knew that his mother was wholly aware of that fact and had used that to her advantage.

The sound of her laughter began to drive Yuki's temper up even further. He would _make_ her stop laughing.

After taking a drag off his cigarette, Yuki tossed it down on the ground and with the toe of his shoe, he crushed it. "I did not come for a long visit, Mother. The real reason I came by was to tell you the latest news."

The laughter did indeed stop and now she was all attention. "Yes, my son?" The look in her eyes was now one of expectation. "Is it wonderful news?"

A slow smile crept over Yuki's face at the thought. "Oh, yes, Mother. It is _the_ most wonderful news! I have been eagerly waiting to tell you." He presented her with his most elegant bow. "You must congratulate me, for I have found the woman I plan to marry."

The hopeful expression that was alight in Rini's eyes died as soon as the words fells from his lips. For a long time Rini studied his serious face before dismissing his confession with an impatient wave of her hand and a wavering laugh. "Oh, stop playing with me, you deceitful boy! Honestly, Yuki! Don't you ever grow weary of playing your little games?"

Smile gone, Yuki shook his head. "This is no game, and I must say that I'm greatly disappointed in you. I believed that my own mother would know the workings of my mind better than that. But anyone who _truly_ knew me would know that I do not take marriage lightly. Or rather, I do not take marriage to one certain person lightly."

Rini's lovely visage grew darker by the second. "Of whom do you speak, Yuki?" Her voice was tight with anger. "Is it that human bitch with whom you were so infatuated with all those years ago?"

The elf prince felt his ire rise at hearing his mother speak of Kagome so rudely. "Don't talk about Kagome that way, Mother. You know full well that I was not merely infatuated with her. I was in love with her."

She sat up, her blue eyes glaring dangerously up at him. "Well then, how _should_ I talk about her, Yuki? How should I speak of the woman who threw you over twice and broke your heart?"

"Forgive her, Mom. That's what I've done. I have long forgiven Kagome for what she did to me."

"Well, I have not! She hurt you again and again and that, to me, is _un_forgivable!" Rini threw her head back and flung open her arms to her son. "Come to me, my love! Come to the arms of the only woman whose love for you will never die!"

Before he could tell her to cease her ravings, Rini leapt up from her divan and lunged at him. Flashbacks from the last visit numbed his reflexes and he could only stand rooted to the spot, unable to move except to throw up his arms in a protective gesture.

But before her hands could grab hold of him, the door to Rini's room was flung open and like an avenging angel, James stood in the doorway. Next to the light switch was a lever, which he pulled up. There was a clicking sound and Rini was suddenly jerked back onto her divan.

A very stunned, yet grateful Yuki was able to stagger towards James. "You saved me yet again," whispered Yuki. A whisper was all he could manage at that point. After nearly being assaulted for a second time by his mother, Yuki felt completely drained of strength. "Thank you, James."

James nodded and went to check on his patient, who was screaming obscenities and struggling to get off the divan. "You must stop this, my lady," he said calmly to Lady Rini.

"Get these damned chains off of me!" she shrieked at him, her hands tugging at the gold belt around her waist. The slender gold belt, Yuki noted, was actually a metal ring attached to a thick cord of metal, which had been threaded through the back of the divan and down into the floor. It ultimately was attached to the lever by the bedroom door. "You can't keep me from my Yuki!"

"I can and I will," James replied evenly and he bent down to touch his lady's forehead. Rini's squirming body stilled immediately and her eyes began to flutter, for she had grown drowsy all in an instant. "Do not forget that I served your grandfather when your father was but a child, my lady," he told her before turning to Yuki. "You should go, Your Highness, while she is incapacitated. I do hope that you will forgive me for my negligence. It was inexcusable of me to leave you alone and unguarded with her. I should have anticipated what she would try to do."

"Think nothing of it, James. I am entirely to blame in this matter; _I_ ought to have remembered not to stand too close to her." It hurt Yuki to speak like this—about his own mother. To him it felt as though he and James were discussing a wild animal.

James regarded Yuki silently for a moment, and then bowed to him. Yuki nodded, touched James' shoulder and headed for the door. But when he reached the doorway, he paused and turned back around to look at James. "I do not think I will return for awhile," he said. "But if there is anything you require, do not hesitate to let me, my father or Hiro know. We truly are very grateful for what you do for our mother."

With that, he bowed and left. As he stepped through the portal to take him back to civilization, Yuki very nearly broke down. He knew he was strong and he did not scare easily for he'd been through much in his life. But what had almost transpired—yet again— in his mother's room had frightened him tremendously.

To be unable to take control of a situation, to feel utter helplessness, was not a comfortable feeling for him and he thought back to Kagome and the events that had transpired on the previous day. Even though he had apologized to Kagome for his behavior, he felt that he had been a bit harsh with her. But it was not her whom he wanted to lash out at. It was that boy he had caught her with. When she had taken all the blame for the clandestine meeting upon herself, it had hurt him to hear his precious one do so. The boy had been equally to blame in this and it angered Yuki that the kid would leave a girl he professed to love to face the wrath of her caretaker.

Yuki exhaled sharply. The memory of his beloved in the arms of another man, who dared to press a passionate kiss on her sweet lips made Yuki burn with jealousy. It was not her fault at all, he told himself, his heart softening at the thought of her. She was not to blame if she turned men on, although he desperately wished that she wouldn't let them touch her. They could look but not touch. Hell, he didn't want them to look either.

Yuki's stride quickened in his agitation as his mind went back to that horrible moment when he caught her and the unworthy human boy in that passionate embrace. By the time he reached his personal quarters, the Crown Prince was in a blind rage. When he could no longer contain his temper, Yuki swung around and plowed his fist into the wall. His fist went in deep under the blow and he had to work his hand free.

That boy had been extremely lucky that Kagome had defied his order to leave them and remained, he told himself. If she hadn't, Yuki knew that he would have done something regrettable to the kid.

Two of his maidservants appeared just as Yuki removed his fist from the wall. Upon seeing them, he abruptly dismissed them, saying that he needed nothing more than to be left alone. Deciding that it would be best to do so—_seeing as how foul a mood their Prince was in_— the two elf women left quickly and Yuki locked the doors behind them.

Alone in his now-silent chamber, Yuki stood for a long time, eyes staring absently into space. At last, his body sagged wearily against the heavy, ornate double doors but inwardly he was still seething. Why had he not put his foot down and demand that she return home with him that very day? What in the world had he been thinking of, leaving her there and knowing full well that as soon as he left she would go running back to the arms of her lover?

Now full of anguish, Yuki slid to the floor and crouched there. That was not true. He had asked her to promise not to see the boy again. But he had not received an answer. Damn it! Why hadn't he forced a promise from her?

So many emotions were flowing through him that he was unable to process them all. But the one constant thing that kept running through his mind was seeing Kagome wrapped up in the arms of that human boy. Although he had the ability to show up at her school and camp out there whenever he wished, she had still managed to find and attract a young man without his knowledge. Worse, it was a male much younger than himself and human— someone she would not look upon as a father figure. Yuki had never thought of their species and age difference as being much of a problem, but now the heaviness of the realization was slowly killing him inside.

He wanted to weep. He wanted to scream. He wanted to kill any man who dared touch her. His chest hurt and he knew his heart was breaking. If he lost her again, he felt as though he would lose his mind.

_Oh please, please, Kagome! Don't deny me again_, his mind screamed silently as he wept into his hands. _I can't bear to lose you. Not again… not again…_

oooooo

The following week, Yuki returned to Kagome's school and demanded to see his ward. Eager to do the elf prince's bidding, the headmistress left him to wait in her office while she went to fetch Kagome herself. Within half an hour, she had brought a sweaty and unkempt Kagome before her well-dressed, if somewhat irritable, guardian.

"Please leave us," he requested of the headmistress, suppressing the desire to wave her away as though he were shooing away a housefly. The woman bowed and obediently left the room, shutting the door behind her. Yuki, who was sitting in the headmistress's chair, swiveled the seat around so that he faced Kagome. "Hello, Kagome," he greeted his ward and with a suave motion, crossed his long legs.

Kagome, who had just been pulled out of dance class, regarded her guardian with uncertainty. He seemed to be in a bad mood. "Yuki-sama? Is something wrong?" she asked quietly as she slipped the towel from around her neck and began dabbing her forehead with it.

Today the dance class had been a very energetic one and when the headmistress had interrupted to drag her away, Kagome had just finished a rather exhilarating routine. Even now, her breathing had only begun to slow. She really wished that he would have given her advance notice before he showed up asking to see her. But here she was, hot and sweaty and there he was, cool and clean and smelling of soap, as well as an obscenely expensive cologne. The very sight of him made her feel extremely self-conscious and as a result, she kept her gaze averted on the space between them on the floor.

Seeing that she was unable to look at him, he hastened to reassure her. "No, my dear. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. After the incident last week, I was worried about you. I have never spoken to you in that way before."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me," protested Kagome. She lowered the towel and twisted the soft pink cloth nervously between her fingers. "Since then I have done some thinking. You were right. I am too young to get myself involved with anyone. It would be more far productive if I were to work harder in school instead of wasting my time with silly boys. Please forgive me." She bowed her head, the picture of humility. But in reality, she wanted to hide the look of disappointment in her face. The day after Yuki had caught her and Jacob together, she had written to him, apologizing for Yuki's behavior but he never wrote her back. When she tried to talk to the sister of one of his closest friends who attended school with her, she was informed that Jacob did not want to see her again and to forget about him. The news confused Kagome greatly, for Jacob had pursued her relentlessly and often in his letters, he had begged her to be his girlfriend. Many times she had turned him down and still he continued to ask her. So his conduct after Yuki-sama had found them together was a little strange, to say the least. Yuki-sama had not even really threatened him, so why would Jacob treat her this way? Unless he did not want to cross paths with Yuki-sama again, for which she could not blame him.

Yuki did not care to see his precious girl act as though she were riddled with guilt. He went to her and held her in his arms. "You did nothing to ask forgiveness for, my dearest one. But there is something that I wish to ask you, if you don't mind."

Eager to put her guardian's suspicious mind at ease, Kagome looked up at him. "Yes, of course. What is it?"

"Your seventeenth birthday is in a month's time. I shall ask the headmistress to excuse you from school for a day so that you may celebrate your birthday with me. What do you think?"

Kagome blinked at this unusual request. Yuki-sama wanted to spend a whole day with her? That was odd. What brought this on?

But she did not wish to offend him so aloud she said: "I would like that very much. Thank you for thinking of me, Yuki-sama." She bowed politely to him.

Smiling, Yuki came forward and took the towel from her fingers. "It is I who should be thanking _you_, Kagome," he said and lifting the towel, began wiping off the side of her face with tender strokes.

She stared up at him with a confused expression as he wiped away her perspiration. "Why thank me? I've done nothing."

His smile was tender. "Well, you're so grown up now, aren't you? You have your own friends and no doubt they have already planned to do something for you on your birthday. But you've agreed to spend a little of that time with me." Taking a step back, Yuki presented her with an elegant sweeping bow. "I am deeply honored, my lady."

As he straightened, Kagome's gaze remained fixed on the tall, striking creature standing before her. In all her life, she could not recall anyone, be they male or female, who was better looking than her guardian. Today he was clad in a dark colored tailored suit which was a sharp contrast to his bright, fair hair. Eyes of vibrant emerald glowed in his smooth, clean-shaven face with its perfect, radiant golden tan. Everything about Yuki-sama was perfection; sheer and utter perfection and vaguely she wondered why he remained unmarried. No doubt scores of women had thrown themselves at his feet.

Then she noticed him looking at her curiously and— _with her heart beating fast_—Kagome's gaze instantly dropped to her feet. That was when she was reminded of how dirty she was and again felt very uncomfortable in the presence of this incredibly beautiful and impeccably dressed man.

"What's the matter?" he asked her as he handed back her towel. He had noticed that Kagome was staring intently at him.

Her eyes opened wide and she shook her head before bowing it before his amused gaze. "N-nothing," she stammered nervously and managed a shaky smile. "I was just thinking how well dressed and clean you are while I'm in these filthy clothes. I am desperately in need of a bath." She took a few steps back from him. "You shouldn't touch me, Yuki-sama. Let me go get cleaned up so I won't get you dirty."

When she moved away from him, Yuki frowned slightly. He wanted her near, no matter how dirty she thought she was. To him, she looked positively delightful, with her hair disheveled and cheeks flushed— either from embarrassment or exertion or quite possibly, both. But then guilt rushed in, thankfully squelching his inappropriate passion for her.

"Then go and take care of what you need to," he told her gently, "I shall wait right here for you. Are you hungry? I'd like to take you to dinner, if you don't mind."

He watched as she turned to go. Kagome had agreed to go out with him, as he knew she would.

Unable to help himself, his gaze slid down her body, from the back of her head to her slim ankles, and he sat down heavily into the nearest chair just as she left the room. He groaned at the memory of watching her slim figure moving gracefully towards the door.

It was wrong, he thought guiltily. It was so incredibly wrong to look at her that way. For god's sake, she was only sixteen years old!

'Two more years,' he told himself and rubbed his temples with his fingers. 'There's only two more years to go. After that, I can look at her anyway I want. But until then behave yourself, Yuki.'

After an hour had passed, Kagome was shown back into the headmistress's office and Yuki, ever the gentleman, escorted her out to his rented luxury car to take her out to dinner.

ooooo

A month later, Kagome found herself seated in a cozy semi-circular booth in one of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in Honolulu. But she was not alone. Seated beside her was her guardian and they were watching the floor show which Kagome was enjoying immensely. A young man and his female dance partner were showing off a very lively version of the Paso Doble, which sent Kagome's feet to tapping. It took every ounce of restraint to not kick off her high heeled shoes and run out onto the dance floor to join the dancers.

For Yuki, who sipped thoughtfully from his glass of champagne, the exhibition show held little interest. Rather, it was Kagome whom he watched with tender amusement. Her eyes were so bright, her cheeks so flushed as she swayed in time with the beat of the music. That she wanted to dance right along with the couple on the floor was glaringly obvious. He sat back a little more against the cushion of the booth so he could watch his ward in more comfort.

When the dance was over, Kagome turned to her guardian with dark, hopeful eyes. "Yuki-sama?"

Yuki, who just finished off his champagne, lowered the fluted crystal glass to the table. "Yes? What may I do for the birthday girl?"

A small smile turned up Kagome's lips and she glanced shyly away. "You know my dance teacher, Ms. Thompson? Well, she's started a summer program that would allow those of us who are serious about dance to learn various dance techniques from different countries."

Yuki's eyebrows went up slightly. "That sounds interesting. Go on."

Encouraged by her guardian's curious expression, Kagome continued. "Like I said, this is a summer program." She paused uncomfortably before adding: "Since I never go anywhere for breaks, this would be something I'd like to participate in."

He eyed her steadily, trying very hard to hide the guilt he felt. There had been many times when he had wanted to bring her back home with him, but Yuri had access to his world and she might manage to detect Kagome's presence. Yuki couldn't have that. He changed the subject. "Of course. Do you have some idea of which types of dance you girls want to learn?"

To his amusement he watched her face. It was lit up like a Christmas tree.

Turning to Yuki, Kagome's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Yes! You know, Flamenco, Kathak and traditional belly dance. Dances like those. We all find them exciting to watch. Those were our top three picks."

Lifting a hand, he signaled their waiter to bring more champagne. "I see." Yuki had overseen the selection of champagne and the pouring of it into his glass and was now in the process of raising the glass to his lips. "So what do you need from me, my dear? It sounds as if you have everything taken care of."

She shook her head. "Not entirely. I need to get some clothing. You know; some traditional costumes. If we're to perform we'll need the proper clothing. Besides, they won't come cheap and I don't have enough saved up from my allowance." Her face grew red and she bowed her head submissively.

Yuki opened his mouth to say something but at that moment, a disquieting thought hit him and instead of speaking he took a sip from his glass. She wished to take a belly dancing class, did she? He looked away, his eyes narrowing with resentment. Yuki had actually been to a few places in Cairo where he and his brothers had seen professional belly dancers. The clothes they wore, to his mind, were a little too skimpy for a girl Kagome's age. But even as that thought hit his mind, Yuki knew he was being unreasonable. The girls he and his brothers had seen had all been Kagome's age and they had performed traditional belly dance while wearing traditional belly dance costumes.

He sighed. So what was the problem, really? It wasn't as if he didn't want her to be happy. He wanted to willingly give Kagome what she wanted— without prejudice, without hesitation. But he had to know—he _needed_ to know.

"There won't be boys in these classes, will there?" he asked, eyes still averted. His chest hurt, in part because of the guilt he was feeling for being so mistrustful and in part because he was jealous. It was foolish at his age to feel the way he did. But he was. Gods help him, he was jealous.

Kagome's head jerked up. She stared, wide-eyed, at him. "N-no, of course not." She frowned slightly. "I go to a girls only school, remember?" Kagome bowed her head again, eyes going to the hands clenched together on her lap.

Her voice held no hidden agenda, no deception, he thought with an inner sigh of relief. Of course there would be no males. Christ, what a suspicious old man he was becoming.

From behind his glass, Yuki suppressed a smile. She was so adorable like this, he thought, his gaze warm as it rested on her bowed head. "If native costumes are what my little dancing princess wants, then native costumes are what she shall get," he said at last in a mock weary voice.

At his words, Kagome's head shot up and she stared disbelievingly at him. "You mean it?" she squeaked, her eyes open wide with wonder and gratitude.

He nodded magnanimously and for a long moment she looked at him uncertainly, and he felt that she wasn't sure how to thank him. When her face softened, Yuki braced himself when she leaned over and hugged him awkwardly, an action she rarely performed, much to his dismay. "Thank you, Yuki-sama," she said softly and pressed her face against his chest. For a split second, she was grateful that he did not allow her to wear makeup, because she would have carelessly smeared it all over his clothing.

The impromptu hug from Kagome very nearly undid Yuki's fragile self-control. He wished, and not for the first time during their dinner together, that he could press fast forward and automatically it would be Kagome's eighteenth birthday instead of her seventeenth, which was today. It would be one year—_one whole year_—before he could do what he had been waiting all these years to do: Ask her to marry him.

As yet, Hiro was not aware of his intentions. But not for long. Yuki did not wish for the Council of Elders to take it upon themselves to find him a bride— which they were _itching_ do since Hiro had not yet taken their cousin Athena as his mate even though they were as good as betrothed. What Hiro could be waiting for mystified all his subjects. Naturally the royal line must be preserved.

His cousins Dante and Draco, although male, would not do—seeing as how they were youkai. Despite being elves, Artemis and Athena were also ruled out, since elven society was still a male-dominated society and it was unheard of for a she-elf to take the throne alone as Empress and rule. The only way that would occur was if her mate, the Emperor, was temporarily unable to rule— _in wartime, for instance_— and he was needed on the battlefield. Only then would a female—the wife of the Emperor— be able to assume the throne.

Yuki stared off into space as his train of thought chugged along. Apart from himself, there was _one_ possible succession to the throne: _Tiberius_.

Now here was an odd duck. Ty was undoubtedly an elf, but there was one problem with that, albeit a slight one. His father was youkai. Any offspring he might have could possibly end up with youkai blood. But the chance was very slim. Miranda and Sesshoumaru had managed to have several children together but their offspring had been born either youkai like their father, or of elf-kind like their mother. People at court had waited and watched to see if there would be the perfect mingling of elf and youkai blood whenever Aunt Miranda had given birth. But she had disappointed everyone. A child born with both youkai and elf traits would be a very special child indeed. There had not been such a being born in many millennia; not since elves and youkai had begun to evolve into their separate races.

But enough of that. Yuki turned his attention back to the young lady sitting beside him and his chest swelled with emotion. Each year that passed she looked more and more like the woman he had never ceased loving. Well, why shouldn't she? After all, she had been reborn as her own niece, a fact which never failed to amuse him. Had she done it deliberately? But then, how would she have known that Souta and Haruka would name her after… well… after herself? They hadn't decided to do that until after she had passed away.

"You're very welcome," he replied and slid an arm around her shoulders. As he did so, an uncomfortable feeling enveloped him. Even though the gesture was a purely innocent one, and would be perceived as such by others, Yuki felt riddled with guilt. He alone knew just how deep his feelings for this young woman ran. No, not a young woman— leastways_, _not yet she wasn't. Kagome was considered a child according to the law and this was the reason for his guilt. He shouldn't be putting his hands on her at all, considering his feelings towards her.

Despite the guilt that ran through him, he did not want to push her away. So he waited patiently until she moved away on her own. When she finally sat back, she was smiling sweetly up at him.

"Thank you so much, Yuki-sama," she told him gratefully. "This means a lot to me."

The tender look in her dark eyes sent little slivers of pleasure rushing up and down his spine. Even the most innocent of glances from his lovely young ward was enough to turn him into a love struck school boy and that made him happy. He hadn't felt this way in such a very long time; not since his demon slaying days. Back then he was quite content to serve under his beloved Kagome. He felt exactly as he had in those long bygone days and it was wonderful.

Taking her hand in his, he leaned over and said in a low voice, "If there is anything at all you need, don't hesitate to ask me. All I want is for you to be happy." He stopped speaking for a moment before adding solemnly: "My dear, next year at this time, I wish to speak to you about your future." His steady green eyes met her curious gaze. "It may surprise you, but I _am_ quite interested in your future. I would be most gratified if you would clear your calendar for me on your next birthday."

Kagome blinked at him. She nearly gasped when he had taken her hand and very nearly sobbed aloud when his thumb brushed lightly over her knuckles. His touch affected her just as much as his silken smooth voice and cat-like eyes did. She hoped he did not notice.

"But that's—," she managed to say with some surprise, "That's a whole year from now."

"I know," he nodded and gave her a smile.

"I… I might forget by then."

The smile faded and he said earnestly: "This is important to me, Kagome, and don't worry. I will remind you when it's time."

oooo

When Yuki dropped her off back at school, Kagome was instantly aware of the eyes of her fellow students from on her as he escorted her through the front gate and into the main courtyard. It was still before bedtime curfew and many of her classmates were lounging leisurely in the courtyard. At least, they _had_ been lounging leisurely—until the arrival of Yuki-sama. As soon as he had come into view they were all at attention, each staring at her guardian with much admiration and lust.

After pressing a chaste kiss on her cheek, he wished her a tender goodnight. Then he was gone, leaving her to face the jealous stares of the other girls.

Back in the room she shared with her best friend and roommate, Kagome prepared to get ready for bed. She was so tired that she decided to forego her nightly shower. She said as much to her friend, Sango.

Ohayashi Sango was Kagome's best friend. A year older than Kagome, she was taller by three inches and had long dyed brown hair with red highlights.

"Hey, don't go to sleep yet. I haven't gotten a chance to interrogate you," Sango said with a sly smile as she reached for her bath towel and her bathing kit. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Be right back." She flounced out of the room, her too-long plum-colored bath robe trailing out the door behind her.

Kagome, who recalled that she had already taken a shower before having dinner with Yuki-sama and therefore did not feel so bad about not bathing, stripped off her clothes and then slipped into an old t-shirt. As the hem of the shirt slipped down past her hips, she turned to look at her reflection in her dresser mirror.

She ran a hand gently over the fabric, which had grown threadbare after years of use and countless washes. Sango had often ribbed her about the worn shirt, telling her that it was way past its prime and that she really should get rid of it, but Kagome would not hear of it. True, it was far too long and hung on her small frame awkwardly, but it was the only tangible thing of Yuri's that she possessed. Or rather, it was the only thing of Yuri's that she had managed to keep hidden from Yuki-sama when he systematically began going through her things and discarded anything that Yuri had given her. Of course there was the old photo of the two of them together, which Kagome took out from her top dresser drawer to look at now and then. She would have kept it on display permanently, but Kagome was afraid that Yuki-sama would come in unannounced and see the photograph. He was allowed to do that for some reason. Obviously he had managed to get the headmistress to let him burst in on her whenever he felt like it. That was how he had discovered her and Jacob together that day in the courtyard.

But the shirt was different. Once, when Yuki-sama had been called away on an unavoidable errand, Akako allowed Yuri to stay overnight. Kagome had never felt so happy! Unfortunately, it was the only time she and Yuri was the only time they had spent the night together and she treasured every moment of that night she could remember dearly.

The shirt had been left behind accidentally and Kagome never told her cousin that she had the shirt. It was one of the very few times she had ever withheld anything from her cousin, Kagome thought with a bittersweet smile and gently touched the shirt again. She would _never_ throw it away.

'_Oh Yuri,'_ she whispered and looked away just as a tear rolled down her face. How she missed Yuri! Even though a decade had passed since Yuri died, the grief Kagome felt had only seemed to intensify as the years went by.

The room was a trifle stuffy, Kagome thought, and kneeling on the window seat, she jiggled the catch lock open and swung the windows open. A lovely, freshening breeze blew into the room and Kagome instantly felt comfortable. Then, after casting another look in the mirror at the faded shirt, Kagome slid beneath the covers of her bed but did not lie down. Instead, she bent down and reaching beneath her bed frame, pulled out her laptop.

By the time Sango returned with her black hair pulled back into a ponytail and her face pink and freshly scrubbed, Kagome was in the middle of an engrossing round of mahjong.

"Oh good, you're still up," Sango said, putting away her toiletries.

"Yes, I'm still up," Kagome murmured. She frowned as the game informed her that she had no more moves. "Well, shit."

Sango chuckled. "My, my, such language! That must have been one brutal round of mahjong."

Closing her laptop, Kagome sighed. "It was. Usually I can beat this particular design after at least three tries, but I couldn't tonight." After returning her computer to its spot under her bed, she leaned back against her headboard. "My game must seriously be off."

"Now then," Sango said gleefully and positioned herself, cross-legged, in the center of her bed and rubbed her hands together expectantly. "How _is_ that gorgeous creature doing? Is he well?"

Kagome smiled and shook her head ruefully. Sango always enjoyed interrogating her every time she had dinner with her guardian. "Yuki-sama is fine, thank you for asking."

"Fine? Oh yes, he most certainly is."

Kagome laughed. "Would you like me to ask him to take _you_ next time, so you can ogle him to your heart's content?"

Eyes sparkling with joy, Sango bounced up and down on her mattress. "Oh! Would you? But you would have to come along though."

"Really? I thought you'd want him all to yourself."

Sango nodded. "Well, yes, I do want him to myself, but you'd have to come to make sure I don't physically attack him. I mean, the man is _seriously_ hot. I don't think I would be able to keep my hands off of him. Cops would have to be called… and that would be unpleasant for everybody involved."

Again Kagome laughed and Sango frowned slightly. When Kagome asked her friend what was wrong, Sango cocked her head and regarded Kagome seriously.

"May I ask you something?"

Kagome shrugged and slid down slightly to lie on her side and with her right hand, propped up her head. "Sure. What's up?"

Sango sighed and shook her head. "Every female at this school— and I mean _every_ female— has the hots for your guardian. I'm talking from the headmistress on down to the newest students. Even Simone and Leslie—"

With a start, Kagome straightened, her head coming up off her hand. "Simone and Leslie? But— but aren't they…?"

"They're lesbians, yes. Charlotte overheard them talking about your Yuki-sama tonight after he'd picked you up for dinner and she said that they were wanting to have a threesome with him!"

Kagome giggled. "You're kidding me."

Sango snorted. "Heh. That's what I said at first. But while I was waiting to take my shower tonight, I overheard our two resident lesbians get into an argument over who would suck him off first. And let me tell you," said Sango, lowering her voice, "that was the first time I have _ever_ heard the word _'penis'_ cross their lips."

"I still don't believe it," Kagome said, lying back down.

"Shit, I can," retorted Sango. "But what I don't understand is this. He is the sexiest, loveliest, most desirable piece of male flesh in the world, but for some unfathomable reason you seem to be completely unaffected. How is that even possible? Can you please explain to me why that is?"

Kagome lay her head down on her pillow and yawned. "He raised me, Sango, so he's like my father. Think about it this way. Do you consider your father hot?"

On her side of the room, Sango pulled a face. "Eww, no! But this is different."

"How is it different?"

"Well, for starters he isn't your real dad. And secondly, because he's fucking hot." Sango crossed her arms over her chest. "How many times do I need to point that out to you?"

"Agh!" Kagome flipped over onto her back and flung her hands up to the ceiling as though pleading with it. "Fine! Fine! He's fucking hot! Are you satisfied?"

"You make it sound as though I forced you to say it," was Sango's suspicious reply.

With a groan, Kagome turned her head to glare at her roommate. "You're demented, you know that? Clearly you and the rest of the female population of this school don't need any more validation of his stunning good looks. Why do you need me to agree with you when it is so plainly obvious to the rest of you?"

Sango lay down on her side and stared intently at Kagome. "I guess I'm curious as to why you are the only female here who doesn't faint every time she sees him. Do you know how many girls here—as well as faculty—would _kill_ to be in your place?"

"I've known him all my life," Kagome said flippantly and just managed to hide a smug smile. "I guess I'm used to him."

"Or maybe you're unnatural."

Kagome sat up and looked at Sango. "I'm unnatural? How so? Just because I don't see him the way all of you do?" _Or maybe it was because I learned how to hide my desire for him long ago_, she added mentally.

Sango sat up as well. "I didn't mean it in a bad way, Kagome. But I just don't understand. He exudes this— this energy, or vibe, or _something_. Oh, I don't know what it is. All I know is that he is a special being with this supernaturally beautiful face! When he comes to pick you up, all the girls are there, watching him. Once, I studied their faces when he was in our midst and what I saw was exactly how I felt when I looked at him." Sango paused then and pulled her knees up to her chest to rest her chin on them. "There is hope, fear, and the rest is pure longing. Hope that he would return my gaze," she said by way of explanation. "Fear that if he should smile at me and return a little of my feelings, I might die. Or at the very least, go hopelessly insane."

"You wouldn't do that, I'm sure," Kagome said. She looked at her friend with concern, for Sango was staring blankly into space. What Sango had said to her did not match with what she felt in Yuki-sama's presence.

After a moment's silence, Sango spoke again. "It shouldn't matter how long you've known him. I know one cannot get used to him, because every time I see him, it is like seeing him for the first time. The headmistress has seen him more times than any of us and still, after an encounter with him, she is seen to be flushed and giddy for hours afterwards. Do you see now why I think something is strange about your reaction to him?"

Pushing her sheets back, Kagome rubbed her eyes and sighed resignedly. Of course she knew quite well how Yuki-sama could affect one; that day in the teachers' garden last month had proven her susceptibility to him. She felt hopelessly drawn to him when he spoke and if she stared too long in his heavenly green eyes, she believed her will would be sapped and he would have complete control of her, mind and body. Never had she met a person with such mesmeric powers. Hope and fear did not enter into the equation, but longing did.

"You don't know him like I do," she said at last. "There was a time, back when my cousin Yuri was alive, when you would not have recognized him." She glanced up to see that she had Sango's full attention. "Yuki-sama was a drunk, Sango. He still smokes though, but hardly ever around me. When we lived in his house in Tokyo, he had a study where he seemed to spend all his time. Once, when my nanny was asleep and he was gone, I slipped into his study. You wouldn't believe the amount of liquor bottles scattered all over the room! Dozens at least, and they were all empty. Worse, the air reeked of stale cigarette smoke. I never went in there again, not even when he was away from the house."

"So he was a drunk and a chain smoker. But so what? That's not too terribly bad? Did he beat you or something?" asked Sango.

Her question sounded odd to Kagome, but she felt she knew why. Sango did not want Yuki-sama to be a bad person and thereby crush all her fantasies of him.

"No, but I was scared of him."

"Why?"

"He didn't molest me or anything. It was just the way he looked at me, as though he hated me. I was frightened of being around him and even begged Yuri to take me away." Kagome felt her vision blur and quickly wiped away her tears. "He hated me, Sango. I could feel that he did. Back then, I knew love from only two people: my nanny and Yuri. Especially Yuri. I told her that I loved her more than anyone else in the whole world, and she… she told me she loved me more than anyone else too. I miss her so much." She bowed her head and hid her face in her hands.

Sango got up and went over to Kagome's bed where she sat beside her and put her arms around the other girl's trembling shoulders. "I'm sorry. I never would have guessed he would have been anything less than kind to you. But he doesn't look at you like that now."

"No, he doesn't."

"When did he change? Do you remember?"

By now Kagome had dried her eyes as best she could. She said: "I can't be sure, but I think it was just before Yuri was killed. Yes, it was a couple of months before she died." She frowned, trying to recall exactly what had occurred. "I believe it all started with a rose bush."

"A rose bush?" Sango asked, puzzled.

"Yeah. One day I woke up to the sound of thunder. I've always loved rainy days so naturally the first thing I did when I got up was to go to the window to see if it was raining. To my dismay it wasn't, but I saw lightning flash across a very dark sky and I'd already heard the thunder so I felt that rain was on its way. Anyway, as I'm looking out of my window which overlooked the backyard, I saw Yuki-sama out in the middle of the lawn. He was digging and because I was a nosy kid, I decided to keep watching him.

"When he was done, he set down the shovel and with utmost care he planted what looked to be a stick. Akako-san was behind me and I asked her what Yuki-sama was planting. 'That's a rose bush,' she told me. 'But you oughtn't to spy on Yuki-sama like this, Kagome-chan. It's bad manners.' But of course when she left the room, I continued to do so."

"That is an odd thing to do," remarked Sango. "Who goes and plants a rose bush when a thunderstorm is brewing?"

"At the time I thought it was strange too," Kagome agreed. "And he looked terrible, as though he hadn't slept in days. Anyway, when he had the bush planted, he patted the earth into place and knelt there for some minutes, almost as if he were praying. But his shoulders were shaking and when he lifted his head, I could see he was crying."

"How terrible! Poor guy! What was he upset about?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. But when he had composed himself a little, he placed his hands on either side of the plant and closed his eyes." Here, Kagome turned to look at Sango. "Till this day, I have never forgotten what happened next. His hands began to glow with this soft, lovely green light and I think it must have been absorbed into the ground, because the next moment the light or energy or whatever it was, lit up the rose bush from the inside. I have never seen a plant glow like that before, Sango! But the most amazing thing was that, a few minutes later, the little stick he had just planted had grown! Leaves began to sprout from twigs that had not been there a moment ago and soon after that, tiny rosebuds began to appear."

Sango stared intently at Kagome. "Yuki-sama made a rose bush come into full bloom?"

"Yes, it was amazing! I knew I wasn't dreaming when the rosebuds opened and the roses appeared. You should have seen them, Sango! I have never seen such perfectly formed roses before or since. And their color! It was incredible! They were the color of blood, so red were they."

"How was their scent?" asked Sango. "Or did you get a chance to find out?"

"I found out. When he finished, he sat back and stared hard at the rose bush for a long time before disappearing inside the house. A few minutes later I heard the front door slam and I knew he was gone. When I heard his car start up in the driveway, I went downstairs and straight to the backyard to get a closer look at this miracle I had just seen. Even with my human sense of smell, I could catch the scent of the roses before I even reached it. The odor was… well, it was intoxicating. I find it hard to describe since I haven't smelled anything like it since. When I reached it, I looked at the blooms. They were such a deep shade of red that it looked like each petal had been dipped in blood. Then I gently took one of the thorny stems in my hand to bring the flower close to my nose—" Kagome broke off, her eyes staring into space as her mind stared back in time.

"And? What happened?" Sango prompted eagerly.

Kagome blinked. "Yuki-sama's hand was suddenly on mine and squeezed my hand so hard that the thorns punctured my skin. I cried out but he only squeezed harder. 'Did I give you leave to touch this?' he yelled at me. No, I said. When I began to cry he let go and I saw that the thorns had broken off and were embedded in my palm and fingers." She looked down at her right hand and clenched it once. "The pain was very great."

"What a fucking jerk! Did he apologize? Did he at least bandage your hand?" Sango was on her feet and staring angrily at Kagome's hand. "At least it didn't leave any scars."

"No scars, but I would have if he hadn't gotten a guilty conscience about it. That day happened to be my nanny's evening off, so I was alone in the house with him. Yuri had taught me how to run my own bath water, but the faucet was so that it was impossible for me to turn on the water with one hand. Since Akako-san was gone, I was forced to ask Yuki-sama to help me. He did so very grudgingly and I think, out of spite, he made my bath water too hot. I couldn't get in for a long time."

"You know, I am really beginning to hate him," snarled Sango. She paced agitatedly between their beds. "Go on. What else did this bastard do?"

"Well, when it had cooled down a bit, I got in. But it was difficult to bathe myself with one hand. I hadn't been able to properly clean my injured hand, you see. If I ever got hurt, Akako-san would get out her first aid kit and tend to my wounds. But since she was gone, her things were locked away in her room and I had no key. Well, I when I tried to wash my hair, I got soap in my eyes. I panicked and wiped my eyes quickly with the back of my hand but that only made the burning worse. With my left hand, I reached out for my towel, but I had forgotten to put it within reach. So there I was, blinded by soap that burned my eyes as I searched blindly for a towel that wasn't there. I'm sure it would have been hysterical if I wasn't in so much pain."

Sango's face drained of anger and now she looked terribly concerned. "Did anyone come to help you?"

Kagome smiled ruefully. "I was crying as softly as I could because I didn't want Yuki-sama to come in and yell at me. The door opened and I could sense his presence. Without thinking I turned away from him and kept my head down so I could hide my tears. I remember feeling grateful that my left side was in view so I was able to hide my right hand easily. He seemed to stand in the doorway a long time but at last he came in and shut the door behind him. The next thing I knew, I heard him kneeling down beside the bathtub. His hands were on me and he turned my head around, I guess so he could look in my face. 'Why didn't you call for me?' he asked and pressed a towel in my hand. I wiped at my eyes but they still burned. He took the towel from me and dipped it in the water before wiping my eyes. That made the burning go away for the most part and I could see that his face was close to mine.

"'Would you like me to help you?' he asked me and for the first time in my life, he didn't look at me as though he hated me. I nodded a bit uncertainly and he carefully rinsed the rest of the shampoo out of my hair. 'I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier today, Kagome,' he said. 'I was out of line and I feel very regretful for hurting you and for yelling at you. You did not deserve that.' He reached for my injured hand and turned it palm up. 'Please forgive me,' he said and kissed my palm."

Sango gasped. "Oh my god," she whispered, wide-eyed. "Did he heal you?"

With a shy smile, Kagome nodded. "Yes, right there and then." Her smile faded and she looked back down at her right hand. "But you mustn't think he did it to be nice. After he helped me into my pajamas, he asked me not to say anything to Yuri about what had happened that day. He said that she wouldn't like it at all and she would get angry at him. But I did not tell her because he told me not to; I kept it from her because she would hate that he had hurt me in her absence. She'd said many times before that she felt helpless having to leave me in his care because she did not trust him."

"Did she hate Yuki?"

"I'm not certain, but I knew she did not care for him very much. One thing I did know for sure was he hated Yuri."

"What?" Sango blinked rapidly. "But how is that possible? Elves are supposed to be gentle creatures, aren't they? I heard they don't have a mean bone in their body."

Kagome shook her head. "As I said before, you don't know him as I do. Yuki-sama is undoubtedly a beautiful man with beautiful manners, but he hated Yuri unreservedly. Do you hear me? He _hated_ her." Her eyes darkened with a quiet anger. "I don't think she ever knew if I realized how he truly felt about her, but I was well aware of it. How couldn't I be? Every time he so much as looked as her I could sense his hatred. It was such an ugly, uncomfortable feeling, being in the same room as him when she was visiting me. I have long since forgiven him for hurting me, but I have never forgiven him for treating Yuri with the amount of contempt he showed her. He treated her as if she were beneath him and was not fit to tie his boot laces."

"What a bastard!" exclaimed Sango, her dislike of Yuki returning in full force. "How did you ever manage to live with a guy like him?"

"I tried to stay away from him as much as I could, which wasn't hard since until the business with the rose thorns. After that day he grew very attentive to me, but then Yuri died and a month later he sent me _here_." Kagome indicated the room about them. "I've been here at this school for ten years, almost eleven. It's like… It's like he has locked me away from the world. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to graduation. I can't wait to get away from here and there won't be a reason for him to hold me here any longer."

The two girls sat for awhile in silence. Through their open bedroom window, they could hear the faint pounding of the surf on the beach.

"There is almost two years of school left," Sango said quietly. "You can hang on until then, can't you?"

Pulling her knees up to her chest, Kagome nodded. "I'll have to. It isn't as if I have much of a choice, right?"

"Right. What will you do when they unleash us upon the unsuspecting world?" Sango asked with a half-smile.

Kagome laughed softly. "I don't know, really. All I do know is that I want to leave here and never come back."

"Will you go to Yuki?"

"I—I'm not sure. Perhaps." Kagome shrugged. "But a part of me doesn't want to see him ever again." Hot tears pricked at her eyes. "He hated Yuri so much. Her life was cut short and he didn't care. He didn't care about how much she meant to me. If there had been a memorial service for her, he never told me about it. It was as if he wanted to erase her from my mind. But it didn't work, for I never forgot her." Two tears trickled down her cheeks. "I never shall."

"I know how you feel," said Sango. Her voice was very sad and it caused Kagome to look at her.

Kagome knew the reason for Sango's quietly uttered comment. Two years ago, Sango had arrived suddenly at the school during Christmas break. The headmistress had put Sango in the same room as Kagome, which delighted her. She recalled the sullen expression of her new roommate and wondered what made the girl so sad.

It took Kagome a long time to get Sango to trust her and when she did, the two had become the best of friends. When she felt their friendship was strong enough, Kagome asked why Sango had come to Pualani Academy in the middle of the school year.

After a long brooding moment, Sango finally explained. She told Kagome that she had been sent away from Japan by her parents for "a little indiscretion," she had said. When Kagome had asked what that indiscretion was, Sango told her that she had gotten mixed up with a neighbor— an older man— and that her parents found out about it. Needless to say, they were furious when her affair with her older lover came to light. But before she could try to plead her case, they had bundled her up and carted her off to Tokyo. Before she knew it, she had been whisked away to Hawaii.

"So," said Sango after a long pause. "You don't want to go to Yuki-sama and I don't want to return to my parents. I haven't been able to forgive them for what they'd done. We will think of something between now and graduation. Things will be okay."

Kagome nodded but did not feel hopeful. Yuki-sama had been very serious tonight when they were having dinner. He was very interested in her future, he had said. She wondered what his words had meant but they had sounded a little ominous to her. What did he have planned for her? And why did he want to wait until her eighteenth birthday before broaching the subject?

A soft chiming over the dorm's intercom system alerted the girls that bedtime curfew had arrived. Obediently, Sango and Kagome slid down between the sheets on their twin beds. The two girls had grown silent, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. After several minutes, Kagome heard Sango's breathing deepen and she knew that her friend was fast asleep.

Kagome wished she could succumb to sleep as easily as Sango, but too many troubling thoughts scrambled through her head.

After what seemed an eternity, Kagome finally felt the familiar, heavy feeling of sleep weighing on her. She sighed and turned over on her side, facing the wall. The sound of the surf was still audible. Again she sighed and smiled. She loved water and the sound of water, from small bubbling fountains to the crash of the ocean on the shore.

Sleep pulled on her again, dragging her under. Before she succumbed completely, she was just aware of the sound of wings, just outside the open window. Her last complete thought was, "I wish I knew what kind of bird that is." Then she was asleep.

ooo

The "bird" perched silently on the open window sill and glanced around the darkened room. Dark, expressionless eyes took in the occupants of the small bedroom. The figure on the right was lying on its back and snoring quietly.

The cold gaze shifted to the bed on the opposite side of the room and he sniffed. Had anyone been watching, they would have seen the twin pits of blackness begin to glow an unholy shade of red. Want burned within those glowing red eyes.

He had found her.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine. All the OCs in this fic are mine, however. Do not use them without my permission.

Chapter 6

"Hiro, I need to talk to you."

The Emperor, who had just finished signing his name to the bottom of a long sheet of parchment paper, lay down his pen, leaned back in his chair and stretched mightily.

"Of course, Yuki, of course," said the Emperor with a yawn. "To be honest, I'm glad of the interruption. I love this job but I simply cannot abide doing all the paperwork that it entails." Hiro gave his brother a rueful half-smile. "That's probably why great-grandfather Kin never revealed to me _all_ of his duties. He knew I wouldn't want to take his place, knowing full well that doing mountains of paperwork was part of the job. What's up?"

Taking a deep breath, Yuki began haltingly. "I… I have heard that the Council is desirous for me to take a bride. But since they would never deign to listen to me, could you tell those old delirious fools to cease their searches for a potential Crown Princess? I shall take a wife— but one of my own choosing. I will not have the Council butting their long noses in my life and forcing me to take an unsuitable female for my mate."

For a moment, Hiro could only stare at his brother, stunned. "A wife? You?" he muttered disbelievingly. "Really?"

Yuki frowned. "Yes. What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing! It's just that…" Hiro paused for a moment, uncertain of what to say. "Be straight with me, Yuki. You didn't get some poor girl pregnant, did you?" he asked, his endearing face fixed in a serious expression.

The blond elf stared back at his brother in horror. "No! How can you say that?" Yuki cried, insulted. "I would never knock up some chick and then marry her. Christ, Hiro, what kind of elf do you think I am?"

Hiro heaved a sigh of relief and slumped down into his chair, one hand clasped to his chest. "Oh thank god. I'm sorry. It's just that I never thought I'd hear you say you'd take a mate. I mean, after Kagome… well, you were never the same after she passed away." He smiled. "But I'm happy to hear that you've finally moved on. So tell me... who's the lucky lady?"

Moving towards the windows behind Hiro's desk, Yuki lit a cigarette and leaned against the cool glass. He looked out through the window at the Imperial gardens which were wildly in bloom. No matter what season it was in the mortal plain, springtime was eternal here in the Elven realm. "Kagome," he said at last, his face softening. His mind went back to the events of the previous evening, when he had taken his sweet girl out for her birthday.

Startled, Hiro stared at his brother with incredulity in his eyes. "Kagome?" he exclaimed. "As in your ward? _That_ Kagome?"

Smoke streamed out of Yuki's nostrils and wafted lazily around his head. "Yes." His voice was soft, almost reverential. He continued to stare out through the window. "_That_ Kagome."

"I see." Hiro swiveled his chair around until he fully faced his brother but his gaze slid past Yuki and out through the clear panes of glass. "What a beautiful day it is," he remarked casually. "I sure wish all my paperwork was done." Hiro paused. "I'd really love to go fishing this afternoon. I haven't been able to in a long time, which is a shame. Say, do you have any more cigarettes?"

The brothers stared out through the windows of Hiro's office, both of them smoking in silence. As soon as Yuki lit up a second cigarette, Hiro spoke, his soft voice breaking the companionable, if heavy, silence. "Of all the females at your disposal, why did you choose _her_, Yuki?"

"Hmm? What did you say?"

Hiro scowled. Yuki heard him perfectly well. "Kagome. Why have you chosen _her_ to be your wife?" The emperor took a slow drag off his cigarette before stubbing it out. "I've heard that she looks just like… like her aunt. Is that the real reason you want her? Does she know that you were deeply in love with her aunt?"

Yuki said nothing and to Hiro, he felt that was a very strange reaction. Normally, if Hiro tried to speak to Yuki about his deceased love, Yuki would have something mean to say about it. But this time, Yuki's reaction was completely different.

"What's going on with you?" asked Hiro, now deeply concerned. "Yuki?"

"Why have I chosen Kagome to be my bride? Well, it's very simple, Hiro. I am in love with her."

This time, Hiro sat up very straight in his chair. "Oh, Yuki, that can't be!"

"Why not? Is it so impossible?"

Hiro jumped to his feet and faced his brother. "It's very possible but she's still a child, that's why not! How can you _possibly_ be in love with a teenage girl?" He clapped a hand to his mouth when a terrible thought struck him. "Dear gods, Yuki," he whispered hoarsely. "What all have you done to the child?"

Yuki shook his head and dropped the cigarette he held. With the toe of his shoe, he ground it out. "Don't be ridiculous, Hiro. I haven't done anything to her," he said. He frowned and his next words were abrupt and irritated. "Would you stop behaving like a scandalized old woman? She's seventeen years old, for heaven's sake." True, she had only just turned seventeen the day before, but that was beside the point.

Hiro was too agitated to notice his brother's far off look. "I still think she is far too young for marriage. Just because she will be eighteen in a year's time, doesn't mean anything. You know as well as I do that human females are not as mature as elf females at that age. Besides, I don't think it's fair to her that you have chosen her to be your wife when your heart belongs to another."

"Hiro—"

But Hiro pressed on. "How could you be so cruel, Yuki? How can you allow her to think you truly love only _her_ and want only _her_ when all the time it's her dead aunt you really want?"

"Hiro, listen—"

"It isn't right!" Hiro cried and waved his arms emphatically. "Why couldn't you find someone else, Yuki? She's so young! I'll bet she has never even gone on a date before."

Even before the last syllable had left his mouth did Hiro realize that those were the wrong words to say to Yuki. His brother's shining golden head whipped around so fast that Hiro could not help but flinch at the movement.

Yuki's body tensed and his glittering green eyes glared hatefully back at Hiro. "And she never will… _unless it's with me_," Yuki snarled through gritted teeth. "I've already caught her in the arms of another and it took all of my willpower not to break the worthless little fuck's neck right in front of her." He looked down at his left hand— the hand that had gripped the back of young Master Jacob's neck— and glared at it.

"I knew exactly what he wanted from her," Yuki went on darkly. "I could practically smell it. I also knew that if I hadn't arrived there when I did—" He broke off sharply, his hand closing into a white-knuckled fist.

"He would have taken advantage of her," finished Hiro softly.

The elder Yamadera looked up and stared out again through the windows. It was a lovely day in their Elven world. The sky was a clear, brilliant blue and the earth below was as green as he had ever seen it. "Yes. He would have taken advantage of her, and had he done that, I would not have been able to live with myself. Was I not charged by her father to protect her? I shall not fail in the duties he placed upon me, no matter what." Yuki shrugged his shoulders. "Had that foolish mortal touched her, I would have beaten him to within an inch of his miserable life."

Hiro silently studied his brother's somber face for a long time. Yuki had let his hand drop to his side but he remained standing at the window, his eyes trained on the world outside.

"Was it wrong of me?" asked Yuki in a quiet voice.

"Was what wrong?"

Yuki looked askance at Hiro. "To hide her away from everyone the way I did. Suppose she finds out the lengths I went to in order to keep her all to myself? Would she hate me for that, do you think?"

"I couldn't say," Hiro answered but he knew she would doubtless feel some resentment towards his brother. However, he could understand Yuki behaving the way he had, for Yuki had never been quite—_stable_— where Kagome was concerned. Perhaps this was due to some incident that happened long ago; back before their souls left Mount Olympus…

"But she may be upset once she discovers that Yuri is alive and well." Hiro heaved a heavy sigh. "That was a bad idea. You _never_ should have told her Yuri had been killed. Lies will always come back to bite you in the ass. I have a feeling that she will find out you lied to her about Yuri."

"But I had to!" Yuki swung around to face his brother. "Don't you see? Yuri looks _exactly_ like her father—"

Hiro shrugged. "So? What's that got to do with anything?"

"If she takes one good look at Yuri, she'll remember and I will lose her for good," Yuki finished, his eyes closing in resignation. "I simply couldn't risk taking that chance."

Knitting his brows, the Emperor leaned forward. "You couldn't take what chance, Yuki? What are you saying?"

Yuki's lids slid open and brilliant green eyes stared at his brother. "Hiro, Kagome was reborn as her own niece." He paused to let his words sink in. Then: "If she takes one good look at Yuri, I know she will remember Kouga! After that happens I won't have a chance to win her. That's why I _had_ to take Kagome away. I've lost her too many times already, Hiro. I… I can't go through that again."

Hiro stared, speechless, at Yuki for a long time. He knew that Kagome would come back, but this revelation had thrown him for a loop. Never had he imagined that she would be reincarnated as her own brother's child. "How did you find this out? I mean, how do you know for certain she is who you say she is?"

"Her birthmark. She has a star-shaped birthmark on her left side. It is the _exact_ same one she had before—" Yuki's face fought hard not to show his grief. "Before she died."

Hearing this little piece of information had shaken Hiro to the core, but the Emperor shook his head. "A birthmark? Don't be silly, Yuki, that doesn't prove a thing," Hiro countered tartly. "There _is_ such a thing as coincidence. Perhaps you were mistaken?"

"I was not mistaken! Besides, you should have seen the look on Yuri's face when I told her that I had discovered the star mark on Kagome's body," Yuki retorted hotly. "That was all the confirmation I needed."

"I see. Was this _before_ or _after_ you tried to burn her alive?" inquired Hiro bluntly.

Yuki shot a dark look at his brother. "Actually," said he, "it was before. Why are you bringing this up again? _That's_ ancient history."

"_That_ was attempted murder is what it was," said Hiro, turning back to the work piled on his desk. He picked up his pen and began writing. "Nevertheless, I shall expect to meet the young lady soon as it is my royal duty to look over my heir's intended mate."

"I see."

Hiro did not look up, but continued writing. "But that will come in time. When you bring her here to formally announce your betrothal, then I shall determine whether she is a suitable wife for you." He smiled up at his brother. "Of course, this is merely a formality for I have no doubt she is quite suitable. If she should not happen to be Kagome's reincarnation, it will make no difference to me. Wed her if you wish; but if I were you, I would put my foot down with the Council as soon as possible. You know that they will not be happy until you've taken a high-ranking elven female as your life mate. However, since you have your heart set on a human female, I can only imagine what their reaction will be. But seeing as you are my brother and all I wish is for your happiness, I hereby give you my blessing to wed the girl… but only on the condition that I will not to be drawn into a fight between you and the Council. I may be the head of state, but there are more of them than of me." Hiro winced when he said those words. "It wouldn't be a fair fight."

Yuki did not bother to hide his grin. "I never expected you to," he said, his heart lifting. Half the battle was over. Now all he had to do was propose to his intended bride. "Your royal blessing will be enough to appease them, although you may have to tell them in person or in writing. I don't think that my word carries enough weight with them."

"All right, that's fine." Hiro nodded and set his pen down again. "Let them know you have chosen a bride as soon as you can." He scowled. "They have been chewing my ear off constantly as of late and it's driving me crazy. I have better things to do than worry about who you ought to marry."

Yuki gave his brother a sweeping bow. "Thank you, Hiro. As ever, I am so thankful to have you in my corner."

"What are brothers for?" Hiro replied with smile. He waved Yuki away with a chuckle. "Now get the hell out of here. I'm so swamped with paperwork that I'll be working throughout the night at the rate I'm going."

With that, Yuki departed to visit the Elven Council, his mind already thinking ahead to a life with his beloved Kagome.

After his brother departed, Hiro sat back in his chair, a worried look on his face.

"Oh, Yuki… Yuki. I _really_ wish you hadn't chosen this girl," he said quietly, his voice soft in the empty room.

oooooo

Not a week had passed when Yuki and Hiro, who were deep in conversation, heard a frightful commotion outside the Emperor's closed office door.

Hiro, startled at the interruption, got to his feet and muttered to himself, wondering what was going on. When he turned to look at his brother, Hiro realized that Yuki was staring off into space, as though he was not the least bit interested in the commotion. The older elf had remained seated, one long leg crossed over the other. His body was perfectly still, as though he were patiently waiting for something… or someone.

Hiro looked at his brother more closely. The blond elf's pretty face was as animated as a statue's, but his eyes held a black, murderous expression.

Before Hiro could ask his brother what was wrong, his office door was flung open and Yuri strode in, her slim body ramrod straight with fury. The Imperial Guards, who were always standing at attention at the Emperor's office door, were right on her heels, ordering her to cease and desist but she ignored them with an impatient wave of her hand.

Yuri's mouthed opened to speak when her angry blue gaze lit on the face of the unruffled blond elf.

"_You dirty sonofabitch!_" she roared, and would have lunged at Yuki if the Imperial Guards had not held her back. "How could you? Goddamn it, how _could_ you?"

She struggled a few more minutes against her captors' hands but at last she relented, her body sagging to the floor. When she was lowered to the ground, Yuri began to sob violently into her hands.

Confused, Hiro turned to look at his brother again. Yuki had not moved an inch, even when the she-wolf had tried to leap at him. The Emperor frowned. He could guess what this whole to-do was about. Or rather, _whom_ it was about.

He went to the distraught young demoness and after shooing the guards away, he pulled Yuri to her feet. As always, he was startled by her appearance; he had never gotten used to this pretty young woman who was the mirror image of her father, Kouga. She was even the same height as Kouga had been.

When he saw her gaze slip sideways to glare at Yuki, who was seated to the right of him, Hiro lifted his hands and gently brushed the tears from her pale cheeks with his thumbs. "There, there my dear, tell me what's wrong."

The tenderness in the Emperor's voice brought Yuri back to herself and she looked at him. But when her lips began to form the words she wished to speak, her large blue eyes filled with tears and her face crumpled.

With the knowledge that Kagome's daughter was standing before him, weeping so bitterly that he could practically hear her heart was breaking, Hiro pulled Yuri to him and held her as she cried on his shoulder. His personal soldiers made a move to remove her, but he shook his head firmly. They backed off and Hiro sighed imperceptibly.

"Yuri?" murmured the Emperor. "Can you tell me what the matter is? I can't help you if I don't know what it is."

Off to his right, a heavy and impatient sigh erupted from Yuki and the woman in Hiro's arms stiffened.

"Why don't you ask _him_?" The words were uttered in a low, bitter growl deep in Yuri's throat. Her head came up and her arctic blue eyes blazed in Yuki's direction. The wolf's fangs were showing prominently in her mouth, expressing without words just how angry she truly was. "He wants to marry Kagome. _That's_ what's wrong!"

"How did you hear about this?" asked the Emperor reasonably. He wanted to know whose big mouth spilled the beans about Yuki's decision to marry Kagome.

"I was out to lunch with Juno, the twins and Juno's girlfriend. She was on the phone with her little sister, who apparently had had her heart set on being a potential bride for… for _him_." Yuri jerked her head in Yuki's direction. She wanted to say something else, but Hiro was in the room and something in her did not want to offend him by saying something crude about his scumbag brother. "Jillian relayed the message to us after hanging up. The kid was extremely upset that he had already chosen someone else."

It was all Hiro could do not to roll his eyes in exasperation. He was upset, not with Yuri— who, after all, had been through so much already— but at Yuki, whose selfishness and unrequited love had gotten in the way of his common sense. _Why_ in the name of Hades hadn't Yuki found another woman to take to wife? _Why_ did he have to insist upon marrying his ward when there were so many other females available?

"There is nothing wrong with taking Kagome for my wife," said Yuki in his coldest, calmest voice. "What possible business is it of yours anyway?"

"It is entirely my business!" Yuri snapped. With some discomfort, Hiro noticed that the whites of her eyes were starting to bleed. Her fingernails had begun to sharpen, which added to the impressive sight of her razor-sharp fangs.

"Okay, listen up you two," he said calmly, in an attempt to cool things down. From behind him, he could feel Yuki's growing rage— not to mention the heat from his brother's body, and Hiro was afraid that his office would end up bursting into flames if Yuki could not control his already heightened temper. "We can resolve this. Yuri, come and have a seat over here, my dear." He steered the demoness to a chair on the other side of the room, as far as possible away from Yuki. Hiro wanted to yell at his brother for dragging him into this. The last thing he wanted was to see Kagome's daughter in this state. Instead he said, with a hint of steel in his voice: "_You_ need to calm down, Yuki. Look at all the paper on my desk. I don't want it going up in flames because you let yourself go."

Yuki continued to glower at Yuri. "Then you need to inform that bitch over there to mind her own fucking business. This has nothing to do with her."

Before Hiro could admonish his brother for his poor choice of words, Yuri jumped to her feet and yelled, "_Kagome is my cousin, you miserable piece of shit!_ You've already told her that I'm dead and whisked her away to god-knows-where, not to mention try to kill me! You may have her under your thumb but that does not change the fact that I'm family to her! If it hadn't been for my poor uncle's misguided sense of duty to his daughter, you _never_ would have been made her guardian." She paused, her chest heaving raggedly with emotion. "Had I been made her guardian, I would have warned her about you and how you poorly you treated me just because _my mother_ had the good sense to marry a guy who wasn't a total _psychotic asshole_!"

Even though he was still seated in his chair, Yuki's body began to shake. His face seemed to grow darker with each word Yuri threw at him until Hiro was afraid to leave the room for fear the two would kill each other.

"Yuki, let it go," Hiro muttered warningly at his brother. He had put a hand up, palm outwards, a sign for Yuki to stop. But it also demonstrated to his furious sibling that he was prepared to retaliate; the hand he presented to Yuki began to bead with condensation. The water dripped down rapidly onto the floor and started dampening the end of his sleeve.

"Then tell her to get the fuck out," was Yuki's reply. Even his voice shook in his barely controlled rage.

Yuri turned quickly to Hiro when she sensed the Emperor was about to agree with his brother. "You can stop this!" she pleaded, her eyes desperate in her white face. "Don't let him marry her!"

"Yuri, I—"

"You can't let him do it! Please, Hiro, please!" Her lower lip began to tremble violently. "She's a child! Don't you see? She's just a seventeen year old girl! Kagome doesn't know any better. He's taking advantage of her, of her innocence. Can't you see that?" Her eyes hardened and she shifted her gaze on the fair haired elf. Two tears slipped unheeded down her face, one on either side of her nose. "You are the sleaziest son of a bitch I have ever met! And you are a monster—_a monster!_— because only a monster would prey on young girls!"

This time Yuki did get to his feet, his face mottled with sheer rage at her words. His fists were balled into fists and white-hot flames engulfed them. At this, Hiro's uplifted hand began to glow a gentle, pulsating blue. His long sleeve was now soaked to the elbow.

"Fuck you," snarled the prince and he advanced on his brother and Yuri. "Get out of the way, Hiro. Or get her out of here. _Pick one_." He was trying very hard not lose control and it showed.

"Yuri, I think you should go now," Hiro said, pushing the demoness back with his free hand. With a heavy heart, he nodded at his guards, who were waiting patiently in the doorway.

"No!" Yuri grew frantic when she felt the hands of the Emperor's personal guards on her. She could not leave, not when the only person who could stop this marriage was in her presence.

But Hiro shook his head and gently touched Yuri's face. "I'm sorry, my dear," he said consolingly. "But there is little I can do in this matter. The only way the marriage will not take place is if Kagome herself rejects my brother."

"And that is something she will not do," Yuki interjected haughtily, his golden head thrown back and his glittering green eyes eyeing Yuri with nothing less than loathing.

Yuri, who had been struggling against the three elf guards, stopped all of a sudden. The look Yuki was giving her was nothing new; he had stared at her that way many times before. She shrugged off the hands on her and backed away but her gaze remained fixed on Yuki.

"So no one will help me, even though I am trying to save someone I love from harm. Blood must stick together, right? Or is it because I am youkai?"

A short barking laugh escaped Yuki's lips but Hiro stepped forward, his sweet face full of worry. "No, that isn't the case at all!" he told her emphatically. "Your race has nothing to do with my inability to help you."

"Then what? What must I do to bring this farce to a halt?"

"Farce?" Yuki would have taken a step forward but Hiro thrust out his drenched hand to grab hold of his older brother's smoldering arm. There was a hiss as water met fire, which was quickly followed by smoke as it curled up from Yuki's arm.

"Kagome is legally in Yuki's care, my dear," Hiro said as he pulled Yuki back behind him. "Like it or not, he has every right to ask her to be his bride. But as I said before, the only way to stop this would be if _she_ were to say no."

Yuri narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "But you guys can use magic. What if he enchants her so she says yes? What then? Would you still allow this low-life pedophile to marry her?"

This time Yuri found herself being forcibly dragged away from the Emperor's office. When she was able to turn her head, she saw that the hallway where she had just been was engulfed in white flames.

ooo

Only when she had shut her front door behind her, did Yuri breathe a sigh of relief. She supposed she was lucky that the three elf guards did not throw her in the brig for stirring up trouble. But it wasn't her fault that Yuki couldn't seem to accept what he truly was: a dirty pervert with romantic feelings for a seventeen year old girl. He had thoroughly deserved being called a pedophile.

The next day there was a knock on her front door.

Yuri— who had been sitting on her balcony, smoking and feeling miserable— frowned at the disturbance, but got up to answer the door anyway. When she opened it she was stunned to find Emperor Hiro, complete with four of his personal body guards—one female and three males— standing in the hallway.

"May I come in?" asked the emperor courteously, giving her a slight bow from the waist.

"Of… of course," Yuri said and opening her door wider, stepped back to let him in. One of the male guards and the female guard entered the apartment first. Hiro came in next, followed quickly by the other two guards and the door was shut behind them. Then, while Yuri watched in some bemusement, the first two elves moved quickly through her home. Apparently they were searching for hidden assassins.

When the two reappeared in the living room, Yuri bit her lip to keep from asking, "Find anything suspicious?" No doubt that would send their antennae up and from the looks on their faces, they would not hesitate to leap on Yuri and beat her to a pulp. Instead, she turned to Hiro and gave him a wan smile. "Why are you here?" she asked but he put up a hand, a sign to wait a moment.

Silently, the first two guards took up positions outside on the balcony while the other two bowed to the emperor and slipped noiselessly out the front door to stand guard out in the hall.

As soon as the front door closed, Hiro turned to Yuri, who offered a seat to the elf on one of her leather couches. They sat down together on the same sofa. "Forgive me for coming to visit you unannounced. I just wanted to tell you that I had a chat with my brother… about Kagome."

Hope flared in Yuri's chest. "And? What happened? What did he say?" If anyone could get through to the blond menace, Hiro could. But the hope died in her when she saw the somber look on Hiro's adorable face. It seemed almost tragic that such a powerful man should have a face that made you want to cuddle him. "How silly of me to ask such a question when I already know the answer," she muttered.

"I'm sorry," he said regretfully, "but Yuki is adamant. The Council has been leaning heavily on him to take a bride since I have not taken one for myself. As you probably know by now, I plan on taking Athena as my life mate." He smiled then, a small rueful smile. "And as you also probably know, Athena is still angry with me over for not punishing Yuki for what he did to you all those years ago."

Yuri inclined her head, indicating that she did know.

"Even so, I feel that she will eventually allow me to formally announce our betrothal. But in the meantime the Council is demanding that one of us _must_ take a wife, thereby securing the throne in case either Yuki or I manage to get ourselves killed in one fell swoop." He chuckled softly and shook his head. "The probability that both of us would die at the same time is very slim, though." Hiro glanced in the direction of Yuri's balcony where Yuri could quite clearly see the two bodyguards standing with their backs to them through the clear sliding glass door. "I am _never_ without protection," he told her, "although Yuki is lucky enough to have a choice in the matter. Normally he refuses their services when he is by himself. But when he is with me, he has no choice which makes me feel better. The only reason you were still standing after the argument with Yuki yesterday was because I embraced you. Anyone else would have paid dearly for behaving inappropriately before an emperor."

Yuri was stricken with guilt. With all her rage at Yuki, she never really stopped to think of Hiro's status. She was simply very used to regarding him as one of her mother's dearest friends.

"Sorry, Hiro," she murmured apologetically. "I forgot. You and my mom were such good friends and quite honestly, I have a hard time seeing you as anything more than that."

"Don't worry about it," Hiro replied with a broad grin. "Since we're being honest here, I must confess I miss being treated as a regular person. Heck, I prefer it." He took one of Yuri's hands in his and kissed the back of it. "The only people who really don't ever seem to see me as an emperor are you, Athena and Artemis. Well, _you_ used to, but after your mother's death that stopped. Sadly, Miranda usually treats me as an emperor and even does—" He paused a second before adding, "—even does Yuki. So other than you and my cousins, there is really no one who treats me as a regular person each time I meet them."

"That must be hard on you," said Yuri with feeling and patted the elf's hand. "I can't imagine living a life like that. You must feel incredibly lonely, even surrounded by people all the time."

"You have no idea." Hiro leaned back against the sofa cushions. "So often my time is not my own, which makes me rather sad. I sincerely miss doing the simple things I enjoyed before I became Emperor."

There was a moment of silence before Hiro continued. "As I was saying, my brother has refused to let your cousin go and there is nothing I can do to keep him from marrying her. But if she says no, then he must back off. That is the only way to stop this."

A thought struck Yuri and she turned to face Hiro excitedly. "Then I must convince her! If she saw me, she would know he lied to her about me and her trust in him would be broken."

"True," Hiro agreed but his eyes were uncertain.

When Yuri gave him a questioning glance, Hiro sighed. "I have no doubt that she would reject my brother's proposal if she knew of his deception. However, the only problem with your solution is that _no one_ knows where Yuki's taken her. Not even me."

"Is there a way to find out where she is? Perhaps trace the places where he's gone through the portal?"

Hiro shook his head. "When I was made Emperor, I was given several special portal bracelets which I gave to each of my parents, and of course, to my brothers. When I—and Yuki—take a mate, our wives will also receive one. These bracelets are special because in case of an emergency, such as a breach in security that threatens the lives of the royal family, we will be able to transport from one location to another, without leaving a trace of where we have gone. It is the regular portal bracelets that are traceable."

"I see." Yuri's heart sank heavily down into her belly. If the Emperor himself had no clue as to her cousin's whereabouts and there was no way to find out anyway, then she most certainly never would.

Desperately, Yuri tried to compose herself. To hide her emotions from Hiro's keen eyes, she got to her feet and stood with her back to him. "Would you ever permit a divorce in your world?" she asked quietly.

"If the couple in question were both of elf-kind, no," Hiro told her. "We elves do not take our mating rituals lightly. However, if a human is involved with one of my kind, then we have no choice but to acquiesce should they wish to part ways. Our customs are quite different as you know, and most humans do not understand. Human females especially find it hard to be mated to a male elf, seeing as how in our culture males are considered the dominate sex." Hiro smiled ruefully, his eyes staring off into space. "I have often wondered if I should try to change that."

Yuri turned back to look at her guest. "And go against everything the elves have known for so long?"

He nodded. "I have the power to do so. Besides," he said, getting to his feet, "I feel that in a marriage with my Athena, things will be made to be equal all the way around. She is too much in favor for equality of the sexes for the likes of the all-male Council, but I feel that would be a good thing. The last thing I would want is to be the husband of some brainless, spineless creature for the remainder of our existences." He waved a dismissive hand. "As to your question, I see what you're getting at. If your cousin _does_ marry my brother and grows to be unhappy in a union with him, then yes, she would have no trouble in obtaining a divorce from him, no matter how much he may not wish it."

The demoness sighed and her slim shoulders rose and fell with the movement. "That's a relief, but I would much rather spare her the grief he would inflict on her before that should happen." She shot the Emperor a wary look. "I know he's your brother, but Kagome is my family and she is far too young to be married. All I want is for her to have a normal life… a life that is lived on her own terms, but I know that Yuki will do all he can to keep her from that. He just wants to have her all to himself and not allow her to experience the world and its pleasures for herself. Now how selfish is that?"

"You're right." For a moment, Hiro looked down at his shoes then returned his gaze to Yuri's serious young face. "Is it true then?" His big brown eyes searched her face intently. "_Is_ this girl really your mother reborn?"

Yuri stared back at Hiro with equal intensity. "Yes," she told him simply.

"How do you know?"

Other than the birthmark, she really had no proof and she said so to Hiro.

"I just do," she told him with a shrug. "The older she got, the more certain I became. I think it was her soul and how familiar it felt to me." Yuri eyed Hiro steadily. "But if I saw her now… then I would know, absolutely."

There was silence in Yuri's apartment for a long, long time. During the silence, Yuri studied the Emperor's face and body language. He stood very still, his long, lean frame completely motionless save the rise and fall of his chest beneath his clothes. Normally when Hiro went into the human world, he dressed in expensive suits as a symbol of his elevated status. But today he wore street clothes, a blue and white striped polo shirt that was tucked neatly into the waistband of faded old blue jeans. On his feet was a pair of plain brown work boots.

"Then I cannot wait to meet this girl," he said at last and Yuri reached out to take one of his hands, which she squeezed gently. His face was etched with grief and she knew that he had been thinking of her mother.

Grateful for Yuri's show of support, he moved forward to embrace her before moving towards the front door. The moment he opened the door, the two elf bodyguards on the balcony slipped back inside and both were at his side immediately.

"I am sorry that I was unable to help you," said the Emperor unhappily. "If there had been any way to do so, I would have, believe me. I love my brother dearly, but you are right in what you say. That child is far too young to be married." He paused a moment before adding: "Should anything come to mind that will help your cousin, I will let you know. Until then," he said and bowed a solemn farewell to Yuri.

Then he and his entourage were gone.

Yuri stared at her closed front door for a long time before heading back out onto her balcony. Once there, she resumed her seat. Her eyes went to the half-empty pack of cigarettes and butane lighter that lay on her patio table.

"I really need to stop smoking," she muttered to herself and sat back in her chair, feeling at a loss. There was so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to say to Kagome and the only obstacle in her way was Yuki. She couldn't kill him— not only because he was the one person who knew where Kagome was— but also she would end up pissing off the entire Elven community. Therefore, she couldn't protect her innocent seventeen year old cousin who he wanted to be his wife. Goddamn it, she just couldn't win, could she?

Snatching up a cigarette, Yuri lit up with an angry flick of her lighter. One day, she promised herself, she would get the chance to lay him out flat. Powerful elf magic he might have, but he did not possess a demon's strength. She would give him the beating he so richly deserved— and it would feel marvelous.

ooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooo

Christmas break was fast approaching. Kagome and Sango, who planned to remain at school over the yuletide holidays, finally heard of the new student from the Okalani Academy for Boys. He had enrolled at the school at the beginning of the school year and nearly every girl at Pualani had wanted to catch a glimpse of him. A few of the senior girls had already seen him and were enthralled.

It was lunchtime and many of the girls were clustered around three of the girls lucky enough to have caught a peek at the new boy.

"Oh my gosh, he's so tall! You wouldn't believe how tall he is!"gushed Sarah Lawson, a petite strawberry blond from Oregon. "And what a great body!" She practically purred at the memory.

Another senior, Jessica Sweet, also felt it her duty to reveal what she knew. Since she was officially dating the captain of the Okalani football team, she could not help but puff up with pride at the insider knowledge. "Marcus told me that the new guy's on the football team _and_ the basketball team. No wonder he has such a fantastic figure. It's all that working out he does."

"But what's his name, Jess?" the other girls demanded.

Jessica thought for a moment, her pretty face scrunched up in remembrance. "I think his name is Darren… or something like that. Marcus says he keeps pretty much to himself and doesn't talk to anyone except his teachers or coaches."

There was a round of disappointed sighs when no more information could be gleaned from the only eye witnesses of this new hunk in their midst. The bell rang, dismissing everyone from lunch and all the girls got up to throw away their trash and put up their trays. While Kagome and Sango lingered, so as to let the lunch crowd dissipate a little before getting up, Jessica Sweet came over to their table. She looked at Kagome with a questioning glance.

"What?" Kagome asked as she and Sango got up from their table, trays in hand.

"Are you still in touch with Jacob?" Jessica asked quietly.

The softly spoken question shook Kagome. "N-no," she replied, trying to hide the hurt she still felt. "He doesn't want to see me again."

"Hm." Jessica looked down for a moment.

"Why?"

Jessica shrugged. "No reason. It's just that Darren, or whatever his name is, doesn't seem to like Jacob. Like, _at all_. Marcus says that Darren hated Jacob on sight but the two never speak. It's really weird. But since there's nothing going on between the two of you, then you have nothing to worry about." She smiled at the two underclassmen and waved. "See ya."

For a moment, Kagome and Sango stared at each other, not knowing what was going on.

ooo

On the first day of Christmas vacation, the two girls went with a small group of classmates and two of the school teachers to the local mall to go shopping. Very few girls were left at the school and in a few days' time, Kagome and Sango would be the only ones left. They didn't mind; it was nice having the school all to themselves. Of course they wouldn't be completely alone. A couple of the teachers— older women with no family— would be there as well.

Today was really lovely. The weather was soft and warm and Kagome wondered— as she always did this time of year— what a cold winter must feel like. Sango, of course, knew and loved to regale Kagome with stories of growing up in the north of Japan and playing in lots of lovely white snow.

As the two girls wandered a little ways away from their classmates, they went into a novelty shop and looked around. They giggled at the display of naughty and vulgar products. Sango found a gag headband complete with two plastic penises, mounted on springs. She put it on her head and moved it around, sending the penises swaying with the movement. They burst into laughter and Sango put the headband back on the shelf.

As they made their way to where the t-shirts were kept, Kagome felt a hand on her arm. It was Sango and she was staring at the other end of the store. With a frown, Kagome turned to see at what Sango was looking at.

Her heart sank.

Jacob was standing by himself near a display of lava lamps, but his dark eyes were on Kagome.

She shrank back a little, not knowing what to do. A part of her wanted to run to him, but at the same time, he had hurt her by rejecting her and she did not want to go through that again.

"What do I do?" she whispered to Sango.

"I don't know," Sango whispered back. "Do you want to leave?"

"Sure," Kagome replied. They made for the door but Jacob took a few steps forward, his eyes intent on Kagome.

"I have to talk to you," he whispered to her. "Please listen to me." With an apologetic look at Sango, Jacob pulled Kagome towards the corner of the store with clothing racks where the t-shirts were emblazoned with faces, both famous and infamous, and the logos of rock bands. Kagome could not help but notice that it was quite dark and secluded in this section. Something inside her balked at the idea of being alone with him. Could it be that she didn't trust him? After all, hadn't he wanted her to forget all about him?

Jacob took advantage of that. His arms went around her and he was kissing her on the cheek. "God, I've missed you," he breathed in her ear.

But Kagome's body tensed. "I thought you didn't want to see me. You wanted me to forget you, remember?" she said coolly.

His body tensed as well but he did not move away. "That was not what I wanted," he said, his voice full of regret.

She lifted her arms and placed her hands on each side of his waist, not pulling him to her but not pushing him away either. "So what are you saying? That someone _forced_ you to stay away from me?"

"Yes." His voice was low and ragged in her ear. "He threatened me if I should try to contact you again. I wanted to see you again, but I felt I had no choice."

"Who threatened you, Jacob?" Kagome asked. She was not certain if she should believe him.

He pulled away from her and looked her in the eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, his gaze shot to a spot behind Kagome. His face went dead white.

Kagome, who had very nearly turned to run, felt a huge block of warmth behind her. An enormous hand grabbed hers and pulled her behind a solid, muscular back. He was clad— _quite nicely, Kagome thought to herself_—in a white t-shirt and faded blue jeans, and blue running shoes. The top of her head barely reached the man's shoulder blades, she thought with some bewilderment. She glanced sharply at Sango, who had magically appeared with the newcomer and whose stunned face was turned up to look at the mountain of male magnificence that stood before them.

"Oh my word," breathed Sango, her eyes sparkling with sheer lust. In a motion that would make any Southern belle proud, her hands fluttered up to her heaving bosom. "Oh my, my, my."

The tall male did not speak and instead, with Kagome's hand still in his, pulled her away out of the store and away from a much shaken Jacob. But after a moment of fast walking—at _his_ speed— Kagome began to yank on his arm, to get him to stop. He did so quite suddenly and turned, causing her to run face-first, into the front of his body.

"Ow, goddamn it," she muttered angrily and gently rubbed her nose with her hand.

"Sorry."

At the sound of his voice, both Kagome and Sango stared up at their male companion with startled expressions. Neither had expected a voice like that to come from a body like his. They had fully expected to hear him speak in a deep, guttural register instead of the beautiful, silky tenor that flowed like music in their ears. And that was just one word.

To her credit, Sango was the first to recover. "Hi, my name is Sango and I am extremely single," she purred up at him and giving him a brilliant smile. "You are?"

The man, who wore a dark knit cap despite the warm weather, lifted his curiously pale eyebrows. They framed a pair of glowing, honey colored eyes that stared with some surprise at the forward young woman. "Hi yourself. My relationship status is irrelevant and quite honestly, none of anyone's business."

"Okay. Rude…" Sango looked deflated, but her eyes continued to drink him in hungrily. "Pardon me." Under her breath she muttered: "Your highness."

The tall young man stared down at the taller girl with a blank expression. "Sorry. Didn't mean to be rude and I'm not royalty so don't be sarcastic," he coldly informed a startled Sango before turning his attention to Kagome. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," replied Kagome with some dignity. She tried to extricate her hand from his as politely as she could, but his hand merely gripped hers tighter. He had a massive hand and it completely dwarfed hers. What made her think she could remove her hand from that giant paw? "Was it absolutely necessary to drag me away like that? He wasn't hurting me."

"He would have done." The tall man bent down and sniffed the air about Kagome's head. "You're a virgin," he said solemnly.

At his candid words, Sango gave a little choking cough while Kagome's face turned bright red. Her free hand itched to slap his face.

"How dare you! Is that any of _your_ business?" she hissed up at him and yanked her hand free of his. This time he let it go, but the look on his face was one of childish petulance. For one crazy moment, Kagome almost could have sworn he had not wanted to let go of her hand.

The strange yellow eyes darkened. "You had no idea what he was thinking!"

"Oh, and you did? Are you a telepath then?" Kagome demanded.

He snorted derisively. "Are you crazy? Of course I'm not!"

At that moment, Sango exclaimed brightly, "Are you a youkai?" Her interest in him flared again and her eyes glowed with delight. Without waiting for him to reply she went on: "You are, aren't you? Oh, how thrilling!"

The tall youkai only spared an exasperated look for Kagome's excitable companion before turning his attention back to Kagome herself. As for Kagome, she lifted a dubious brow at Sango's words.

"Youkai? You?" Her tone sounded less-than-pleased.

"Yes. Me." He sounded less-than-pleased at her less-than pleased tone.

Feeling more annoyed at him, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest. "Then how could you _possibly_ know what he was thinking since _you_ can't read minds?"

He looked her up and down insolently. "Humans," he grunted. "You're all such simple creatures. For your information, I could _smell_ the want on him. That's how I knew. He was planning on having you, whether you wanted it or not."

"Maybe that was exactly what _I_ wanted!" Kagome snapped angrily. As she turned to stalk away, he stepped in her way, blocking her path. "Get out of my way!" She poked at him, her finger stabbing him in the chest. He did not move an inch.

Instead, a low, menacing growl emanated from his broad chest. His tall body stiffened, every inch of him expressing indignation. "Gladly, but you can't see him again. He'll only hurt you in the end."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?" Kagome continued to glare up at the odious man.

Staring down at her with curiously solemn honey-colored eyes he said: "You really shouldn't lie to a youkai. We can tell when you do."

Kagome stared at him, her heart pounding uncomfortably in her chest. "Lie? I didn't lie! About what? In what way?"

He bent down until his face was a hair's breadth away from hers and sniffed the air. "I can _smell_ the lie on you. Just like I could smell his desire for you, I could also smell your distrust of him." The youkai straightened to his considerable height and stared down at Kagome. "Now tell me, what self-respecting girl would want to be around a guy she didn't trust?"

"You know, that's just what I was thinking," Kagome replied pertly, her chin held high. "So if you don't mind, I don't want to be around you any longer." She grabbed Sango's hand and marched off, dragging her friend along behind her.

"Wait!" Sango cried. She cast a longing glance back over her shoulder at the very tall and glowering youkai behind them. "What's your name?" she called to him.

But he did not reply and instead, turned and disappeared—as much as someone his height can disappear—through the holiday crowd.

"Oh— poopie!" Sango moaned dismally as she watched him go. "You could have at least gotten his name, Kagome. Now I'll never find him again!"

"If he wanted to give us his name, he would have told us when you introduced yourself. But he probably didn't want us to know the name of the rudest male on the island," Kagome muttered sourly as the two of them finally caught up to the rest of their classmates, who were all seated in the Food Court. A couple of the other girls were whispering excitedly about something across the table from each other. Both whirled around when Kagome and Sango reached them.

"Kagome! Oh my god, what was it like?" Jade Wilson was positively glowing beneath her nut-brown tan. She grabbed Kagome by the arm and pulled her down onto a chair beside her. Sango quickly claimed the seat across Kagome and Jade.

"What was what like?" Kagome asked with some confusion. She glanced across the table at Sango, who shook her head. Apparently she had no clue either.

Jade's companion, Fatima de la Cruz, grinned broadly at Kagome and tossed her long blue-black hair over one tanned shoulder. "Your experience with Darren, of course," she said jovially. "Isn't he divine?"

"And tall," added Jade, a hint of wistfulness in her voice. "I _love_ tall guys."

"_That_ was Darren?" Sango asked, hope dawning in her brown eyes. "The new guy from Okalani?"

Jade and Fatima both nodded in agreement while Sango's expression brightened considerably at the knowledge that she now knew who the tall man—or rather, _boy_—was.

While her friend and the other two girls were sharing a personal moment, Kagome was growing more annoyed by the moment. It was all well and good that they were losing their minds over the tall, strapping— oh, whatever the hell he was! But he had butted in where he had no business to be. She could have found out what had kept Jacob away these past few months. Now she'll never know, damn it.

A group from the Okalani Academy marched past the Food Court and was heading for the nearest exit. All the girls from Pualani Academy turned and strained to look at the boys as they passed by. Sure enough, a very tall young man with a knit cap was among the group. Kagome noticed with some unhappiness that he was right behind Jacob, who looked as nervous as she had ever seen him.

When Jacob cast a longing glance at her, Kagome got to her feet. But sharp look from Darren sent her back into her seat in a hurry. The boys left the mall and Kagome felt relieved. Darren—_if that was even his real name!_—was a very intense person and that was a little unnerving to Kagome. But what was really enviable to her was that he could not be much older than her and yet he had such a commanding presence.

Whatever, she thought to herself as she and Sango got up to get something to eat. He was a jerk and she did not like him at all. In fact, she downright hated him! How dare he say such rude things to her!

But as she ate her slice of pizza, Kagome couldn't help but wonder if she would ever see him again.

oooooooooo

Two days later, she did.

She and Sango were sitting on a crowded Waikiki Beach with the only two teachers left at the school. While they were engaged in conversation, Sango asked to go the bathroom. The younger teacher, a Ms. Jenson, nodded and immediately turned her attention to her colleague, a Ms. Greenwell.

"Hey, I'll be right back," Sango whispered to Kagome, who was lying out in the sun in her favorite bikini. It was days like these when Kagome really loved living in Oahu. Even though it was winter, she was able to wear a bathing suit and get a great tan.

"Okay," Kagome said and sat up, pushing her sunglasses up to the top of her head. "Where are you going?"

Sango grinned mischievously at her friend. "I told Jenson and Greenie I was going to the bathroom, but there's this really hot guy a few feet behind them and he's been motioning to come over and sit with him. So I'm going."

"Okay," Kagome said again. She sent a surreptitious glance in the direction of the guy Sango was talking about and Kagome saw immediately why Sango was interested in him. He was a youngish man with light brown hair and laughing dark eyes. He was also very handsome and very shirtless and no wonder… his physique was terribly nice to look at. But there was something Kagome did not like about him. He did not appear threatening, but all the same… there was something not right…

"Promise me you won't go off with him," she said, turning to Sango, which put her back towards him in case he was watching them.

"Yes, mother," Sango retorted good-naturedly and got up.

But the feeling of unease did not let up and Kagome grabbed a hold of Sango's ankle. "Promise me!" she repeated frantically.

This seemed to get through to Sango. She stared, wide-eyed, down at Kagome and nodded solemnly. "I promise," she replied seriously. "I'll make sure to stay right where you can see me."

"Thank you," Kagome said and released Sango's ankle. Her eyes followed her friend as she went to join the brown-haired man. Why she should feel so strongly about someone she did not even know, baffled Kagome. All she knew was that there was something wrong with him, something dark that lurked beneath his charming and sunny smile.

As she resolutely kept a watchful eye on her best friend, Kagome felt a presence beside her. It was a rather large presence. Slipping her sunglasses down on her nose, she turned to look… and her heart stopped.

"Worried about your friend?" Darren stood—or rather, loomed—over her. _'Damn he's tall,'_ she thought, her mouth hanging open. His sheer height was enough to take her breath away.

The sun was directly over his head, leaving Kagome unable to see his face clearly, but she had the distinct impression that he was smiling at her. She glanced down at his body and felt a pang of disappointment. Unlike many of the men on the beach, he had the gall to wear clothes. His well-built body was clad in a plain green t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts. At least his legs were bare… and very nice legs they were and the end of those long, lovely legs, his enormous feet were bare.

He sat down beside her on the sand, and folded his long legs tailor-style. "He's bad news," he said.

Kagome shot a look at him. "How—?"

"How did I know?" He shrugged his massive shoulders. "You've got a poor memory. I thought I told you what I was." His eyes shifted from her to regard the bright blue ocean that lay past the white sandy beach.

"You're a demon," she said, remembering the conversation at the mall. He could smell a lie on someone, he had said. But could he also smell the darkness in a person's soul? And what do lies and darkness smell like to someone like him? Kagome couldn't help but smile a little at the thought. She wondered if she could ask him sometime. Perhaps she would if— or when— she got to know him better.

Without turning to look at her he asked: "Want me to kick his ass?"

"Kick his—?" Kagome tilted her head curiously to one side. "For Sango?"

His beautiful yellow eyes turned to look at her. They blazed like molten honey in his face. A stiff wind kicked up his hair and it was then she noticed his hair for the first time. She was struck with awe when she saw that his hair was beautiful and white; the strands shone like spun silver in the bright sunlight. "No," he said. "For you."

"But why? You don't even know me."

He studied her face solemnly for a long moment. "I'd like to. Get to know you, that is." Again the wind ruffled the fine silver threads about his head. He held out a hand. It was a large as Kagome remembered it to be. "Let's start right now. Hi, I'm Draco."

_Draco?_ That was an odd name. Kagome frowned. She'd had a feeling that Darren hadn't been his real name and she told him so. "I thought so. The name Darren didn't exactly suit you. It's nice to meet you, Draco," she said a little uncertainly as she returned his handshake.

Suddenly, Draco's hand tightened on hers and she gave a squeak. "Excuse me," he muttered and releasing her, got up quickly. Kagome turned around to watch him walk away and she noticed that he was heading to the spot where Sango and her suitor were seated. Only Sango was no longer sitting; she was on her feet and she appeared to be arguing with the brown-haired man who was looking pretty angry.

Kagome gasped and got to her knees when he jumped to his feet too, but she sank back down on her beach towel just as Draco's tall form deftly inserted itself between Sango and the irate man. Sango fell backwards on her butt in the sand when the silver-topped youkai pushed her away. The other man took one look at his competition and— just as Jacob had done in the novelty story two days previously— his face turned dead white. When he tried to escape, Draco gripped him by the throat and began telling his captive something. Obviously Kagome could not hear what Draco said to the wretched creature in his grasp, but she had a feeling that she didn't want to know. But the look on Draco's face was menacing enough for her to guess what was being said.

After listening to what Draco had to say, the man nodded vehemently. When Draco deemed him safe to let go, the man quickly grabbed his things and took off without a backward glance across the bright sands.

A moment later, after Draco made certain he would not be coming back, he gripped a shaking Sango by the arm and dragged her back to join Kagome.

"Let me go," Sango hissed up at him when they made it back to Kagome's side. Just as Kagome had done at their first encounter at the mall, Sango tried to yank herself out of Draco's hand to no avail.

But it appeared that Draco was in an ill humor from the encounter with the brown-haired man. "Sit your ass down," he commanded. He jerked her arm downwards, which sent Sango down onto her bottom on her towel. He then joined Kagome on her towel, sitting down in front of her but he faced Sango. "Why didn't you listen to Kagome?" he demanded.

Sango was astonished. "What?" She glanced dumbfounded at Kagome. "What's he talking about?" she asked.

But it was Draco who answered her. "She tried to warn you, didn't she? But you didn't listen." He narrowed his eyes. "You very nearly got yourself abducted, you silly girl."

"So what was he?" Kagome asked interestedly and put a hand on his arm.

Draco's yellow eyes flickered briefly over his arm where Kagome's hand was before looking back at Sango's shocked face. "He… has an unhealthy fascination for young girls," he said quietly, "but he really enjoys teenage girls. Even though there are a lot of gorgeous, _adult_ women around us, I saw how he looked at all the little girls running around on this beach. But for a long time he was watching both you and Kagome in the creepiest way. _You_ were the one who just so happened to look his way first. All he had to do was give you a smile and a wink and you, like a fool, came running."

Sango did not reply but Kagome, thinking back to what she wanted to ask him earlier, did so. "But how did you know? I mean, what did he smell like?"

This time, Draco's gaze lingered on Kagome face. A small smile played about his lips and there was an oddly appreciative look in his eyes. "He gave off a strong odor of testosterone and adrenaline. I can't really tell you what it smelt like in terms that a human can understand, but it _was_ a very distinctive smell and a bit unpleasant. All I had to do was watch what he was doing and after just one whiff and I could tell what he wanted." He glanced back at Sango, who seemed to be a little confused. "The guy was a rapist pedophilic scumbag," he clarified in a bland voice, "and he wanted to fuck your sweet little teenage pussy."

Both Kagome and Sango gasped at his brusque words before he shook his head with disappointment. "Oh please. I expect that from Kagome, but from you, Sango? That's why you went over there, isn't it? You went to him willingly, with the hope that your encounter with him could possibly lead somewhere."

For a moment Sango stared, horrified, at Draco, before she began to cry. Kagome reached over and put her arms around her friend.

"You could have told her in a nicer way!" she hissed angrily at Draco.

But Draco shook his head and shrugged. "I could have, but would my words have sunk in? Look," he said, and this time his voice was kinder. "You think that just because you're sort of experienced in bed, that you wouldn't get fooled by a guy like him."

Sango jerked away from Kagome, her face flushing bright red with embarrassment. "How did you—?" she began furiously.

"He's youkai," Kagome reminded her gently. With a grin at Draco she added: "His nose knows."

This time the smile Draco gave her was brilliant and it transformed his whole face. Kagome sighed inwardly. He was so very handsome.

"Why the hell do you care about me?" Sango demanded hotly. She wiped at her tear-stained face with some ferocity. "And what business is it of yours what I do anyway?"

Draco shook his head. "Actually I don't give a damn what you do. But I saw how worried Kagome was for you when she tried to warn you and quite frankly, I didn't care for that."

Hearing what the brutally honest young man was telling her, Sango had the grace to look abashed. She glanced up at Kagome with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Kagome," she said. "Darren's right. I should have listened to you." With a sob, she lunged at Kagome and hugged her tightly.

'Darren' groaned. "Please, enough with that terrible name. My real name is Draco, not Darren."

"But that's what everyone at school says your name is," Sango said, releasing Kagome from the hug.

"Yeah, I know. That's the name I came up with on the spur of the moment." Draco ran a hand through his silver locks. "Sure wish I'd settled with David or Daniel instead. Darren sounds goofy to me."

The girls began to laugh and he joined in with a deep, throaty chuckle. The unpleasantness had passed and now they were enjoying a comfortable moment, just the three of them, each savoring the warmth and beauty of the day.

"Hey, Draco," said Kagome, "where's your chaperone? Is he as attentive to you as ours is to us?" She motioned to where Ms. Jensen and Ms. Greenwell still sat, utterly engrossed in conversation.

"Don't have one," said Draco. He stretched his incredibly long frame out full length and propped himself on his right elbow so his head was practically lying on Kagome's lap.

"But how is that possible? Even if you were the only student left at school, one of the teachers would have to accompany you wherever you went. Are you a senior?"

"Nope." He shook his head and glanced down at Kagome's outstretched legs beside him. To her embarrassment, his gaze slid lazily up and down her slim, tanned limbs. She felt as though he were eying her legs as though he wanted to take a big bite from them. Her eyes widened at the realization.

For a moment Draco glanced up at her as a small, mischievous smile tugged at his lips. It was a look which made the inside of her chest flutter oddly. His gaze returned to rest once more on her legs.

"Then how come you get to be by yourself?" asked Sango. Her voice sounded faintly resentful. "My folks would never let me do that. They think I can't be trusted. Can you believe that shit?"

When he could tear his gaze away from Kagome's legs, Draco smiled up at Sango. "I can't imagine why they'd think that." He sent a wink at Kagome, who stifled a laugh as Sango stared up at the sky and regarded it with annoyance.

"Anyway," continued Draco, "My parents allowed me to stay on the island for Christmas break." He nodded at a group of luxury hotels a little ways up the beach. "So I'm staying at a hotel." His smile grew even more mischievous as his eyes fixed on Kagome. "If you sneak out, you can come see me."

Sango, seeing that Draco's remark was directed at her friend, giggled. "Hey now," she said with mock displeasure, "What about me? May I come too?"

Draco sighed and shrugged. "Sure, I guess so. What do you say, Kagome? Can she come too?"

But Kagome was not paying much attention to either Draco or Sango. Instead, she stared out over the sandy beach with its collection of tanned bodies sprawled all over the place. Her heart sank a little when she saw families playing together in the sand; parents chasing their children through the surf. Normally she took pleasure in watching families enjoy their time on the beach. She liked seeing the simple joy of mothers and fathers being with their children.

"Why don't you want to spend the holiday with your family?" she asked suddenly. "Why would you want to spend your time off from school remaining here?"

Kagome uttered her words so quietly that Sango had to lean forward to hear her, but Draco had no difficulty at all hearing over the sound of the ocean and the chatter of the people around them. "My mom and dad wanted to spend Christmas in the French Alps. They love cold weather and snow, but I'm not too crazy about either. I much prefer warm climates. Why do you ask?"

His answer was so flippant, Kagome thought unhappily. When he looked up at her with concern on his face, Kagome pulled her legs up to her chest.

"I wish I had what you have," she told him. "I wish I could go the French Alps." A tear rolled down Kagome's face. "I wish I had a family who wanted to spend time with me and I wish I knew what a real Christmas feels like." More tears slid down her cheeks. "I want to see my breath in the cold air and I want to see snowflakes fall from a cold winter sky."

By now, Draco was sitting up and staring at Kagome intently. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sango put her arms around her and kiss the side of her head.

"Hey now, don't cry," he murmured consolingly and put a hand on her calf. For a moment he rubbed her smooth leg gently. "It seems I made you cry. I'm sorry."

Kagome clung to Sango's arms. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. Can we go now, Sango? I want to go h-home." When her tongue tripped on the word _'home'_ and she sobbed even harder.

"Yeah, sure baby, come on." Sango got up and helped Kagome to her feet. "Go to the school van and wait for us. I'll go get the gabby twosome."

With a nod Kagome shook out her beach towel, wrapped it around her waist like a sarong, and walked away.

Draco touched Sango on the shoulder. She turned to face him. The wind kicked up and she shivered slightly despite the warmth of the day and the sun that beat down on them.

"I didn't mean to upset her," he said, his voice full of remorse. "Honestly, I would have kept my big mouth shut…"

"It's not your fault," Sango said and patted him on the hand.

"What did she mean then?" he asked, interest glowing in his eyes. "And why did she falter on the word 'home'?"

Sango eyed Draco for a long moment before responding. "Home is a place where most of us go to spend time with our families and friends. But for Kagome, home is back at school." She stooped to gather up her towel and shook it. "Kagome spends all her time at there. She never leaves. In fact, she hasn't left since her guardian deposited her there nearly eleven years ago. That place is the only home she knows." Sango spat the last words out bitterly as she folded up her towel.

"So she really doesn't know what snow feels like?" he asked incredulously.

Sango shook her head. "She's been here so long she's forgotten what it means to be cold."

"And the part about Christmas?"

Again Sango shook her head. "When she was just a child, she says that her guardian did not like Christmas, so she never got to celebrate it. Now that she's older, however, he brings her gifts and takes her out to dinner on Christmas Day. But she has always wanted to know what a Christmas with snow and having a big decorated Christmas tree is like."

"But don't you guys celebrate Christmas at school? At Okalani, there's decorations and stuff. I'm pretty sure you guys have the same."

"We do, but it's not enough for Kagome. It's sad because during lunch we have to sit and listen to the other girls go on and on about seeing their family and friends back home and what they plan to do over their Christmas vacation. Kagome gets really depressed this time of year because every year, she gets to do the same thing: stay at school with some middle-aged teacher who could care less about her. I mean, get a load of those two." She pointed at the teachers who had accompanied them to the beach. "They have no clue that I almost became a rape statistic and that Kagome is nowhere to be seen."

"It doesn't seem like they care about you two very much do they?"

"Nope."

"And her guardian sounds like a real winner," remarked Draco with much sarcasm.

"He's a jerk," Sango said promptly. "Once she told me that she felt as though he had locked her away from the world. The first thing that came to mind was the story of Rapunzel."

"So you're saying that this island is the tower she's been locked away on."

"Yes. No doors and no way off this rock. He's got her passport and won't let her have it. She's asked him plenty of times but every time she does, he always comes up with some excuse." She shrugged. "Well, let me go get our alert chaperones so we can get back to school."

She held out her hand, which he took. "It was nice to finally get to meet you _and_ learn your name," she said with a genuine smile. "Your _real_ name, I mean. Oh, and thanks. For coming to my rescue earlier. It served me right, I suppose, but I appreciate your intervention just the same."

Draco shook her hand perfunctorily before releasing her. "Don't mention it. But if you want to repay me, I would be _really_ grateful if you and Kagome wouldn't let the others know my real name. The last thing I want to hear is annoying little shits calling out my name," he explained when Sango looked confused. "If they thought my name was Darren, it would be so much easier to tune them out when they want to bother me."

"Gotcha," replied Sango, giving him a little salute. "Henceforth, you shall be known to the outside world as Darren."

"Thanks." He nodded and turned to go. "Oh, hey." He turned back.

Sango, who also had made as though to turn away, looked up at him expectantly.

"Christmas Eve is in a few days," he said. "What are you and Kagome going to do that night?"

After pondering this thought for a moment, Sango shrugged. "Ah, I couldn't say. Most likely we won't do anything. Why? What's up?"

"Do you have a cell phone?" He whipped his out and touched the screen.

"Sure."

"Good. Give me your number. Does Kagome have one?"

Sango frowned. "Her guardian has never let her have a decent Christmas in all the years she's been alive. A cell phone? Are you kidding?"

"Damn." Draco scowled as he and Sango exchanged numbers. "This guy is really starting to piss me off. Okay. That's cool. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, eh?" He punched in Sango's number and pressed send. A moment later, her phone began to ring in her hand. "Just making sure I got your number right," he explained.

"That's cool." She grinned broadly up at the inu youkai. "So, what do you have planned?" she asked him, her interest seriously peaked by his mysterious words. "And does it involve breaking school rules?"

He returned her grin with one of his own. "I can't tell you much right now, but I what I can say is that I want you and Kagome ready to go around eight o' clock in the evening on Christmas Eve."

"Okay, but where do you want us to meet you? The doors are locked by then. That leaves us pretty much trapped."

"Oh, that's easy. Sneak out to the teacher's garden and go to the wall in the back. Just climb over and I'll be waiting on the other side."

"Alright." Sango nodded. "Do we need to bring anything?"

"No, just yourselves. I'll provide everything else." Draco turned to go but turned back. "Oh hey, one more thing. When you get back to your room— I'm assuming that you share the same room—could you check to see what size clothing Kagome wears? I need to know what size pants and shirt she wears. Oh, and I need your size too. Just text me when you find out."

"Sure." She put her phone away and glanced over at her unconcerned chaperones. "You sure you can't tell me what you've got planned? I'm dying of curiosity."

"Sorry. You'll just have to wait… and for heaven's sake, don't tell Kagome. This is a surprise." He reached out and patted Sango on the head. "Don't forget your mission and I'll see you in two days. If something comes up or there's a change in plans, I'll let you know."

"Okay."

"Good. See ya." Draco turned and walked away.

For a few minutes, Sango could not help but watch him as he moved away down the beach. When at last he disappeared, she smiled a little to herself. Unless she was very much mistaken, Draco was beginning to have a thing for Kagome. Of course she saw the look on his face when he had been staring down at her friend's legs. He'd wanted to nibble on Kagome's wonderful dancer's legs.

With a sigh and a last look around at the crowded beach, Sango went to retrieve the teachers.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the Inuyasha characters. But the OCs in this story are mine, so please do not use them without my permission.

A/N: Again, many apologies for taking forever to submit the next chapter! I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7

It was around two thirty in the morning when Dante was awakened from a deep sleep by the gentle beeping of his cell phone. As it was, it had taken him awhile to fall asleep because of the icy wind that howled outside his bedroom window. For a moment, he lay there on his stomach, hoping that the sound was only a part of his dream… and what a wonderful dream it had been.

After another beep, he knew that the blasted sound was no dream. "Damn it," he growled into his pillow and mentally cursed his youkai hearing. What he wouldn't give to be hard of hearing _and_ a heavy sleeper. Why hadn't he turned off his phone? _Bloody moron…_

Without opening his eyes, his hand fumbled around blindly on the night stand for his wretched phone. Bringing it close to his face he gazed blearily at the screen and his mind went blank for a moment. Should he curse the caller, who so rudely roused him from his sleep? Or should he treat the little brat as lovingly as an older brother should?

"I love you, but this better be good," Dante grunted into the phone.

On the other end, Draco chuckled softly. "Aw, I'm sorry Dante," he said apologetically, although to Dante he did not sound in the least bit apologetic. "I forgot you guys are ahead by eleven hours. My bad." His voice was little too perky and _awake_ for Dante's taste.

Suppressing the urge to growl at his baby brother over the phone, Dante rolled over and covered his eyes with a heavy forearm. "Cut the crap. What the fuck do you want? I was having an incredibly erotic dream until you had the audacity to wake me up." He had been, too, as the strain of the fabric over the sizable bulge in the front of his sleep pants proved evident. _Damn, it had been such an awesome dream…_

"You were asleep?" Draco sounded appalled. "But it's only… _what?_... two something in the morning! How disappointing, Dante. Here I was, thinking that you were this unstoppable party animal! So why aren't you and Ty out hitting on some hot little snow bunnies? The last thing you need to be doing in bed is sleeping."

Beneath his arm, Dante scowled. Draco was obviously mocking him. "For your information, you insolent little shit, Ty and I are due in South America in twelve hours, which is _why_ I was fast asleep. Since you want to join the Corp so bad, let me give you some very valuable advice. When you finally become one of us, you'll find out just how very little sleep you'll get when you go on assignment."

This seemed to put an end to Draco's amusement and Dante couldn't help but smile. He nearly burst into laughter when his little brother stumbled all over himself to apologize.

Dante sighed. "Okay, okay, so you're sorry. I get that. But why did you call to interrupt the best sleep I will be able to get for a month?" he asked, trying hard to keep his own amusement from exposing itself.

Now thoroughly chastened, Draco got to the point. "I need to borrow your house."

"Borrow my… Say that again?"

"I need to borrow your house. Yes."

While Draco's words attempted to sink in, Dante removed his arm from his face and sat up in bed and glanced around the room. The room at his parents' chalet in Chambery was a cozy affair. To Dante's untrained eye, the furniture in his room was elaborately carved out of cherry-colored wood. It was all very fancy-looking and Dante did not care for it, but his mother did and her opinion was all that mattered.

In all there were six rooms, one of which was shared by his parents and one that was shared by Athena and Artemis. He and Tiberius each had their own room. On this trip, Juno and Draco had not come to spend time for Christmas. The youngest member of the Takashi clan had expressed a desire to remain in Hawaii for his holiday vacation. This was not truly surprising since Draco—like himself and Juno— did not care for chilly climates. As for his twin, Juno, she and her mate wanted to spend the holiday at some tropical locale. Dante could not help but begrudge Juno her freedom. Once he had a mate of his own, he would then be able spend his holidays wherever he wanted.

His mind quickly turned from the subject and he glanced around his room. Even though he hated the furniture, at least the bed was comfortable. "And warm," he muttered to himself. On the other end of the phone, Draco cleared his throat and Dante shook himself. "Sorry, I was drifting off. So you want to borrow my house. Alright, I'm game. Why do you need my house?"

It was Draco's turn to be silent for a moment. "Well, because I need it. It will be just for a few hours on Christmas Day, because of the time difference between here and Japan."

Dante's pale eyebrows slid down over his nose as he got out of his warm and cozy bed. He padded silently over to the fireplace. The fire that had been in it earlier had all but died and all that remained were embers that glowed weakly in the dark.

"You haven't answered my question, pup." Dante reached down to a metal container that held pieces of firewood and grabbed a couple of logs, pushing his hand through the closed metal mesh screen. As he placed them on top of the dying embers, he repeated his question to Draco. "Why do you need my house?"

As he turned up the gas and threw a struck match onto the pile of firewood, Dante could hear Draco give a sigh of resignation.

"Well, you see… Dante, there's this girl and—" he began, his voice oddly quiet.

Before his brother could finish his answer, Dante gave a shout of hearty laughter. "Well why didn't you say so to start with? A girl, huh? Draco, you stud! How long have you been keeping this from me?" He sat down in front of the now-blazing fire and basked in its heat.

"Shut up, Dante," grunted the younger youkai. "It isn't what you think and it won't be just the two of us. Her best friend will be coming too."

Again Dante laughed. "A threesome? Dear god, boy, I've been missing out on your life for far too long! Details, man, details!"

"What—? No! Damn it, Dante! I told you it isn't like that!" Draco's voice was growing tight with anger.

"It's okay if it is, you know. You're at the right age to want to get into a girl's pants." When Draco did not reply, Dante sighed. "So you want to borrow my place for a little Christmas rendezvous. Since you claim that it won't be of a sexual nature, what are you going to do? As it _is_ my house I think I have a right to know what you, _a minor_, will be getting up to."

"Fair enough," said Draco calmly. "There is this nice girl I met here who goes to the school next to Okalani." He gave his brother a brief account of their initial meeting in the mall. "Anyway, I met her and her friend on the beach today and I found out something interesting about her from the friend. The friend told me that the girl has never had a real Christmas or even has any memories of cold weather or snow. She's lived for most of her life on Oahu, you see."

While Draco had been talking, Dante picked up the poker and began poking at the burning logs. When his brother finished, Dante returned the poker to the wrought-iron fireplace stand. "Very sad, but what does that have to do with needing my house for Christmas?"

Under his breath, Draco muttered something unkind about thick-headed people before responding. Of course Dante heard everything his brother had said. "I want to set up a tree and put up some lights for her."

"Can't you do that where you are? Mom and Dad are letting you stay at a hotel, aren't they?"

"Yes, but—"

"Alright then. Give her a Christmas there."

Over the phone, Dante could hear Draco's teeth grinding together and he could not help but grin at his little brother's frustration. If Draco wanted to borrow his house, then he'd better work for it. _'Dance, my puppet, dance,'_ he thought to himself with glee.

Draco's temper finally snapped. "But there isn't any snow here and it's snowing in Japan right now!" he cried. "Tokyo's blanketed with the stuff. Please, won't you help me out here? She's such a nice girl, Dante, and she's got no one except her friend to spend Christmas with."

"She doesn't have a family?" Dante asked, his interest in this mystery girl growing just as his amusement began to fade away.

"She has _no one_," replied Draco somberly, "except a guardian who sent her here when she was just a child. From what her friend told me, it sounded as though he wanted nothing to do with her at all and only left her here to keep her out of his sight."

"Damn. Poor kid," murmured Dante sincerely as he made certain that the mesh screen in the fireplace was back in place. His heart was starting to soften towards this mysterious young woman whom he did not know.

"That is why I wanted to borrow your place. Since the house you and Ty live in is in a pretty secluded neighborhood, we'll be able to run around in the woods your backyard and enjoy the snow. I'll show her how to make snow angels and stuff."

The elder youkai got to his feet and strolled over to the windows on the other side of the room, which were directly opposite his bed. "But you hate snow," Dante could not resist pointing out as he peeked through white linen curtains and out into the night. Large fluffy snowflakes were drifting lazily down, blanketing an already-white world. Man, he couldn't wait to get out of here and into the bone-melting warmth of South America. Of course, there would be humidity and mosquitoes that came along with the bone-melting warmth, but those were only slight inconveniences to an avid despiser of the cold such as himself. Cold weather sucked ass.

"This isn't about what I like or don't like. I'm doing this for _her_, okay? And as I said, we can't stay that long or else they'd be discovered missing and get into trouble when they get back. So, does this sound okay to you?"

Returning to his now-cold bed, Dante chuckled softly. "If you want my opinion, it sounds pretty lame. I mean, you'll be alone with two chicks and you won't be banging either one of them."

Draco growled with annoyance into his brother's ear. "Man, you're sick. Look, I'm not you, okay? Just because you're a man-whore doesn't mean that I want to be one too. All I want to do is cheer someone up and—"

As he pulled the bed sheets up to his chest, Dante began to laugh. "Hey, chill out. I'm just messing with you, baby bro! You're way too young to be so serious, you know. Sometimes you remind me of Ty. If you keep it up, you'll end up just like him— all lonely and bitter."

"Ty isn't lonely," Draco snorted. "He's always with you. If he _is_ bitter, it's _because_ he's always hanging around you. I'd be bitter too if I were him."

"Whatever."

"Well? Can I borrow your place or not?" Draco's voice was impatient.

The moment Dante's head hit the pillow, his eyes began to droop and a drowsy sensation came over him. Sleep was coming, he thought blissfully.

"Of course you can, little man. You know where the spare key is, right? Would've said yes earlier… but I wanted to make you… beg…" The sound of Draco gritting his teeth made Dante want to burst out laughing but he all he could manage was a weak chuckle.

"Why do you always have to do that to me, Dante? Why do you always feel the need to fuck with me? Damn, you can be such a douchebag!"

The smile on Dante's lips faltered. His eyes closed. "Because that's what big brothers do, Draco," he whispered. "I miss you so much, you know. Can't wait… to see you again…"

ooo

On the other end of the phone, Draco could hear Dante's phone drop from his fingers and suddenly the sound of his big brother's breathing was muffled.

The last words Dante had said still rang in Draco's head and as he disconnected the call, he smiled down at the phone in his hand. He felt strangely happy, hearing his big brother say that he missed him. Sometimes it was hard for the two of them to connect, seeing as how great their age differences were. He had just turned seventeen in October, while Dante was forty-five years of age. It was so weird to think that Dante and Juno were already adults of twenty-eight with a decade of experience in the Slayer Corp under their belts by the time he was born.

"Thanks, big brother," he said with a sad smile. "I miss you too."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sango received a text from Draco on Christmas Eve, instructing that she and Kagome go into the teacher's garden at eight that evening.

'_Wear jeans,'_ the message instructed them, _'everything will be provided. Don't eat dinner.'_

She texted him back, saying that both of them understood. Meanwhile, Kagome fairly trembled with excitement at the prospect of breaking a school rule. She and Sango had heard of girls who had gotten into deep trouble for sneaking off of school grounds when they were not allowed out of the gates without a chaperone, so neither of them had dared to try. But now, with only two teachers on campus—teachers, moreover, who felt that neither girl would dare break a school rule— Kagome and Sango knew that this was the perfect opportunity to pull the feat off.

When the appointed time came, the two girls snuck out to the garden where Draco was waiting for them. It was already dark but they could see him as he sat atop the grey stone wall, his long legs straddling it. Leaning down, he held out his hand to Kagome to help her up. As soon as he had set her safely down on the other side, he did the same for Sango. Then he jumped off, his movement as effortless as a cat's.

"Come on," he said and headed for a thick gathering of trees.

"Why are we going out here?" asked Sango curiously as she and Kagome picked their way through the darkness and what felt to be a bramble patch. "Ouch! No one ever comes out here."

"Exactly," said Draco and came to a stop. He sniffed the air. "There hasn't been a human out here in a very long time, which is just what I want."

The girls watched in silence as he fiddled with something his left forearm. A moment later, there was a flash of light and a circular patch of swirling blue light hung in the air before them.

Draco turned to his companions and held out his hands to them. "As this is your first trip through a portal, I think it best that you hold onto me. You might get disoriented and not make it all the way through." When they hesitated, he took hold of them. "I would hate to lose you," he said with a half-smile.

"Where are you taking us?" Kagome asked. With some hesitation she took his left hand and watched as Sango took his right hand, although she was less hesitant. Kagome wondered if Sango would try to make a move on him, a thought that Kagome did not really like. But a moment later, Kagome shook herself mentally. What did she care if Sango wanted him? They had not known each other long and besides, he and Sango seemed much better suited to each other. Besides, even if Draco had the _slightest_ interest in her, Yuki-sama would find out and put a stop to that relationship too. First anger, then frustration washed over Kagome at the memory of that afternoon in the teacher's garden. Yuki-sama was so protective of her, but why? It wasn't as if she was anyone special, so what did he care who she wanted to be with? Regret filled her heart and Kagome wondered what it would have felt to have been Jacob's girlfriend. She had _really_ liked Jacob and had wanted very much to be with him, but thanks to Yuki-sama's interference, she would never know.

The forest around them had gone quite silent. Kagome looked at her companions' faces, which could just be seen in portal's strange blue light. They were staring at her.

"What?" she asked as she looked from one concerned face to the other.

"He asked if you were ready to go," Sango said, a strange little smile on her face.

Kagome glanced over at Draco, who was staring at her intently in the dark. She may not have been able to see the expression on his face clearly, but she knew that he could see hers. "I'm ready," she said and gently squeezed his hand.

"Hope you guys didn't eat anything," he said and squeezed her hand back. Then they were walking into the blue light. Kagome heard nothing but her body felt as though she were being propelled through space. At first she thought she was being sucked in, but then she realized that the force was pushing her from behind and not pulling her from the front. For a split second she thought she might go flying off into space, but the hand that held onto hers did not loosen its grasp and the next thing she knew, she was stepping onto a solid floor.

As soon as the three were through and the blue light of the portal had vanished, Sango let go of Draco's hand and crumpled to the floor, where she began to wretch violently. Kagome, on the other hand, exhibited no such after effect although she felt a bit nauseous. Her face felt strange, as though the blood had drained from it.

Draco glanced quizzically from one girl to the other. "You're not sick," he said at last as his gaze came to rest on Kagome. He eyed her suspiciously. "You've been through a portal before, haven't you?"

At this, Sango got unsteadily to her feet, her face green. "Is that how you can tell if someone's gone through one of those things before? If they get sick or not?"

Draco nodded but his eyes did not leave Kagome's face. "A body, regardless of which race it is, will always react violently the first time through. But once someone has gone through, their body will remember it. Even if they are human." He looked down at his left hand and saw that he still held her small hand in his. "When did you go through?" he asked.

"I don't remember," Kagome replied. She saw him glance down at their joined hands and her face turned scarlet instantly. Hating the feeling of allowing her embarrassment to show, she tugged her hand free of his. "It was a long time ago, just after my cousin died. I was taken to another house that my guardian owned before he brought me here…" She looked curiously about them. "Or rather, to Oahu. I don't know where _'here'_ is."

'_Here'_ was a room of some kind and that was as much as Kagome could make out, for it was very dark and… and very chilly! Apparently someone had left the air conditioning on. She glanced over at the only source of light and saw that it was a dim vertical line. Curtains, she thought, and very heavy curtains they seemed to be.

There was a deep chuckle behind her but Kagome did not need to turn around to face Draco; she could feel his large hand on her back. "Why don't you go see?" he asked as he gave her a small push her towards the curtains. His voice held a hint of laughter.

Curious as to what she might find behind the curtains, Kagome went to investigate. Reaching out, she grabbed hold of one heavy curtain of fabric and pulled it aside…

She was standing at the back door and through the glass of the sliding door was a scene she had only seen in pictures. Kagome felt her breath catch in her chest. The world outside was a winter wonderland. The ground was completely covered in snow and the trees and bushes stood out starkly against a whiteness that seemed to envelope the whole world.

"Snow," she whispered and lightly touched the glass with the tips of her fingers. A smile crossed her lips as she felt the glass. It was very cold to the touch. That pleased Kagome to no end, for that meant this was not a dream.

Above the tops of the trees, the sky was the color of lead and it made Kagome think of rain. But there would be no rain today, surely? As much as she loved rain, she had no desire to see it today of all days. What she wanted—_all she wanted_—was to see snow falling from the sky.

As she continued to stare out through the window, she became aware of someone taking her hand. Kagome turned her head to see Sango standing beside her. She was looking out of the window too with a small smile on her face.

"It's been a long time since I've seen this much snow," she said sadly. "Forgive me, but I think I'm a little homesick. I'm really missing my family now."

With a little smile on her face, Kagome reached over and gave Sango a quick hug. "I'm so happy you're here with me, Sango. You're like a sister to me, you know."

"And you're like a sister to me," Sango replied, returning Kagome's hug. She pulled away and turned Kagome around so that she was facing Draco. Kagome gasped when she saw a Christmas tree beside him. Her gasp became a squeal of joy when he joined the ends of two electrical plugs together. The entire tree lit up in a blaze of multi-colored lights, which were enhanced by silver tinsel, colored glass balls and long, slender conical strips of glass. Kagome guessed that they were meant to represent icicles.

She reached out and touched one of the glass icicles. "This is so pretty. Did you do this just for me?" she asked and turned to look up at him. Just one look at her host was enough to confirm her suspicions. "Oh Draco," she whispered as a grateful, watery smile tugged at her lips. "Bringing me here to show me these wonderful things… You didn't need to do such a thing for me."

"I did it because I wanted to. Isn't that enough?"

"But how did you know? I mean, the only person who knows what I've been wanting all these years is Sango and—" Kagome broke off and looked over at her best friend. "Did you tell him? Was that how he knew?"

"Yeah," Sango admitted and shivered. "Can you turn up the heat in here? I don't know about you two but I'm freezing."

Draco nodded and went over to a very large recliner next to the tree. On the chair was a large duffel bag. He opened it and pulled out an article of clothing. "Here, I hope these fit," he said and handed a coat to Sango before reaching in for another. "Sango gave me your sizes so they should fit," he told Kagome as he held open a coat for her. "Guess you haven't had to wear one in awhile, huh?"

Kagome grinned as she shrugged into her coat. It was so soft inside, she thought happily. "N-no, I haven't. I don't even remember owning one," she said, snuggling into it.

"They should be warm enough," Draco went on. He handed a pair of gloves to each of his guests. "Both the coats and gloves are lined with wool."

As soon as Kagome received her gloves, she rushed over to the back door and slid it open. With a glee-filled laugh, she dashed out onto the snow-covered wooden deck and down the steps to the white, pristine backyard.

Sango and Draco stood in the doorway, watching Kagome with indulgent eyes.

"You did a great thing for her." Sango turned to Draco. She slipped into the coat and zipped it up. "Thank you so much. This means a lot to her."

He shrugged. "I felt bad for her, poor kid. It was the least I could. What I really want to do is give that guardian of hers a punch on the nose. He's sounds like a real jerk."

"Oh believe me, he certainly can be." Sango looked back at Kagome, who was on her knees in the snow. It appeared that she was attempting to make a snowball. "Although I hate to admit he's a very good-looking jerk."

"Sango! Please come out and help me!" Kagome held up a lump of snow to show her friend, which promptly fell apart. "I'm trying to make a snowball but I can't seem to get it right." She frowned and made another attempt.

Sango laughed and pulled on her gloves. "Coming!" she called out and ran out to join Kagome.

oooo

Night had already fallen when Kagome stepped outside for the last time. Sango, who couldn't stand the cold any longer, had already travelled back to Hawaii via the portal. But Kagome lingered, wanting to spend her remaining moments standing in the snow and savor the biting cold just a little bit longer.

As she made her way down the back porch steps and onto the snow-covered ground, she giggled. She could not get enough of the crunching sound that her shoes made as she walked on the snow. One day, she vowed to herself, she would get hear that sound as much as she wanted without any time restraints.

She inhaled deeply through her nose, her eyes closing with bliss. The cold air stung her nasal passages but Kagome found she liked it. But then, she liked any kind of change in her life. Damn, she did not want to go back. To go back meant that she would once again be under Yuki-sama's thumb and unable to do whatever she wanted. How she longed to be free of him!

The sound of heavy footsteps behind her made her turn around. It was Draco. Kagome couldn't help but flinch at his appearance. Of course she knew he was a youkai and that his tolerance for cold temperatures was high but still, the sight of him walking around in the cold with only a light hoodie on for warmth made her want to scold him for not wearing a heavier coat.

Seeing the look on her face and the ensuing shiver, Draco chuckled. "The cold is irritating but I'm a demon. I can handle it." He shrugged nonchalantly as though to prove his point.

"I guess." She shook her head and looked back up at the sky. It was useless to do so, since she couldn't see anything but blackness above.

"What's wrong?" His voice sounded far away.

Kagome laughed. "How did you know anything was wrong with me?" she asked.

"I can smell it. You're worried about something."

"What an amazing sense of smell you have!" She sighed. "But you're right though. I _am_ worried about something."

"Tell me."

For a moment she debated on whether or not to tell him. Then she frowned, her mind made up. "I don't want to go back. Do you think it's wrong of me to say that? After all, my guardian has made sure that I'm getting a good education and he takes care of all my needs. I must sound really ungrateful."

Without thinking, he reached out to take her hand. "I don't think you are at all. Sango told me that you never get to go anywhere for school holidays, so I figured that you deserved to get away. I only wish you were able to stay away longer." He gently squeezed her gloved fingers. "But I hope you enjoyed your time away from school?"

The quietly spoken question sent a different kind of shiver coursing through Kagome's body. "You'll never know how much," she replied, her cheeks growing warm. Dear heavens, what was wrong with her? She barely knew this guy and yet all she wanted was for him to bend down, slide his long arms around her and kiss her senseless. But she did not dare wish for that. Yuki-sama would kill her if he ever found out that she kissed another boy. He would make sure she would never get to see Draco again… and she did not take pleasure in that thought.

"Sorry you didn't get a chance to see it snow," he told her sincerely. "I'd heard on the news earlier today that there'd be a good chance it would, but I guess it wasn't meant to be."

With a shrug, Kagome smiled up at her host. "Eh, it's okay. I'll get to see it one day, I'm sure of it."

"Just not today."

"No, not today."

He shrugged. "Well, speaking hypothetically, what if it had? Snowed, I mean."

She laughed softly. At first she had been nervous when Sango had asked to return to school and left Kagome all alone with Draco. But now she felt quite comfortable in his presence… and she liked that feeling. It felt right being with him, which was odd to her for she knew they were not very well acquainted. Perhaps she was being a fool for letting him get to her at all. Or maybe this was her way of rebelling against Yuki-sama.

His voice broke into her thoughts. "What's so funny?" he asked curiously.

"If it _had_ snowed today, I might have given you a kiss," she boldly told him with a teasing grin. But almost immediately, Kagome shook her head. "God, I'm being ridiculous! Sorry. Forget I said that." Feeling his gaze intent on her, she ducked her head so he couldn't see her face. "Thank you for bringing me here, for doing all this for me. If there is some way I can repay you, please let me know."

"Repay me, huh? Let's see. How could you repay me—" He retained her hand with his; with his other hand, he tapped one of his long fingers against his chin, a thoughtful look on his face.

When his gaze returned to her face, Kagome instinctively knew what he wanted from her. "No kisses! I was only kidding about that. If my guardian found out, he wouldn't like it."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Draco waggled his pale eyebrows suggestively at her.

"But I have already disobeyed Pualani's school rules by leaving without permission! Please don't make me have to keep something else from him. If he ever found out I left school in the way that I did—oh heavens, he'd kill me." She began the familiar process of attempting to remove her hand from Draco's. As usual, he was making the extraction very difficult.

"There is no need to tell him everything you do, Kagome." Draco frowned at her efforts to separate their enjoined hands. So he tightened his grip on her.

Exasperated with him and with his hand of steel, Kagome sighed heavily. "Look, is there anything else you will accept? Anything within reason, that is… although I don't think I have anything you could possibly want—"

"Actually, there _is_ something I've wanted to do since we first met and no, it does not involve kissing."

Kagome looked skeptical but she nodded after a moment's silent contemplation. "Well then, what would you like?"

"I would like it if you would allow me to smell you."

Initially, Kagome could not speak upon hearing his request. Her shock kept her voice silent for quite a few minutes. When she at last found her voice she asked, "Smell me? What do you mean, smell me? Are you saying that I stink? Because I can assure you that I bathed before I came here." A chill ran up her back and she shivered. Man, she was freezing!

"That isn't what I mean," Draco said and guided her to the steps of the back porch. The warm yellow light spilled out across the wooden slats of the weathered deck, which contained shapeless lumps that were bunched together. Kagome guessed that the lumps were patio furniture covered with plastic tarps.

"Then what _did_ you mean?" Kagome was halfway up the stairs but Draco's hand ceased her ascension. She glanced enquiringly at him over her shoulder. "Draco?"

With his free hand, he turned her to face him and felt consternation settle in her stomach. She realized that now, instead of looking into his chest, she was staring directly at his mouth. "Why do you want to smell me?" she whispered. Her mouth was very dry as she took in the strange look on his face. He was staring at her with an odd expression, one which she had never seen before.

At that moment, his face broke out into a broad grin and to Kagome, it seemed a little predatory. For the first time, she saw his fangs quite clearly. A little _too_ clearly.

"What's wrong?" she asked cautiously.

Regarding her through amused eyes, he tilted his bare head to the side. "You can either let me smell you or… or you can give me a kiss. Your choice."

She was puzzled. "G-give you a kiss? What for—?" Her gaze moved past his head and up to the sky. Large pieces of white fluff were drifting lazily down from the night sky. "Oh my god," she breathed rapturously, her breath coming out of her like a puff of smoke. Her eyes were open wide with wonder. "Is… is that snow?"

Before he could reply, Kagome broke away from him. Jumping down off the porch steps, she ran out into the snow, her head tilted back so she could watch the snow fall. She stood, motionless, for a long time as the snow fell silently around her in this already snow-covered world. On impulse, she stuck her tongue out and rushed to catch the nearest snow flake on it.

When she had managed to catch several—_it was hard to stop since she found that she loved the taste of snow!_— she turned back to look at Draco. He was sitting on the top step with his hands shoved in his pockets. The whole time he had said nothing; he simply watched her run around like an idiot.

"Sorry," she said apologetically.

"For what?" His body had not moved an inch. "You were enjoying yourself, which was the point of this entire trip. I'm glad you got your wish." He got up when she walked towards him. "Are you ready to go? I don't want to keep you out too late."

"N-no, of course not," replied Kagome as her teeth began to chatter. Wow, she was really unused to the cold. "I'm glad to be going back in a way," she said as he stepped aside to let her precede him up the steps, "because I'm freezing."

When they were back inside the warm house, she turned to face him. With a set look on her face, she lifted up her right arm, pulling back the sleeve of her coat as she did so. "Smell me," she said.

Draco frowned, his face a mask of puzzlement.

"You gave me a choice," she explained. "Let me smell you or give you a kiss. Well, I wouldn't be comfortable giving you a kiss… but you can smell me if you like. There's not much contact there, right?"

After a moment's contemplation, he smiled and shook his head. "No, there's not much contact," he told her. "But it's not your wrist I need." Removing his hands from his pockets, he reached over to pull down the collar of her coat just a little bit. "This place would be best," he said as his fingers brushed lightly against her throat.

The light contact made her jerk back slightly and her eyes flew open wide. He only grinned in response and moved over to where the Christmas tree was plugged in. "Your throat is the most obvious spot for a good sniff," he told her matter-of-factly as he unplugged the lights. The bright cheerfulness of the colorful lights was instantly extinguished, leaving Kagome feeling rather deflated.

"Humans," he continued blithely on in the darkened room, "have three really good scent spots. That would be the throat, under the arms and the groin." He chuckled when he saw Kagome flinch. "I sincerely doubt that you would allow me to get anywhere near the last two locations, but I figure that you wouldn't mind the throat so much." With a wink at Kagome, he switched off the lights in the living room which plunged the entire room into darkness.

A moment later, the blue portal appeared and cast an eerie glow all about the room. Kagome jumped when she felt Draco take her hand in his. "Wouldn't want to lose you," he said with a grin, all the more disconcerting by the way the pale blue light lit up his face. Then they were through the portal and Kagome felt herself being pushed through time and space.

This time around, the trip through felt a little easier and Kagome was relieved to note that the feeling of nausea she had experienced after the earlier crossing was considerably lessened. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the familiar warmth of her island home surrounded her and almost at once she shed her heavy coat and gloves.

"_This_ is why I love warm weather," remarked Draco with an audible sigh of relief. The moment he released Kagome's hand, he had quickly removed his hoodie. "It's so much more comfortable when it's warm."

"You're right about that," Kagome agreed. Behind her, the portal had remained open. By its pale light, she glanced down at the coat and gloves in her hands, a worried look on her face.

Draco noticed this and reached over to take her chin in his hand, which he tipped up so she could look him in the face. "What's wrong?"

Kagome shook her head as best she could before she replied, "Nothing much. You'll probably think I'm being silly, but I can't keep these." She lifted her arms and proffered the garments she clutched in her hands.

"But I got them for you," he said, confused. "Of course you can keep them."

"No, I can't." She pressed them into his hands. "_He'll_ know."

"He?"

"Yes. My guardian."

"That's ridiculous. Why should he care if you own some gloves and a coat anyway? If you don't want him to know about them, don't tell him. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"No!" Kagome cried out softly. "You don't understand. Sometimes… sometimes he goes through my things."

"He does what?" Draco looked horrified.

Kagome shook her head. "He goes through my things," she repeated. "When he makes his next search and finds this, how would I be able to explain why I have winter clothing in my possession when I live on island with warm weather all year round? Look, I don't know why he invades my privacy like that, but he does. I've just learned to accept that. Now please, you must take them." Again she thrust the clothing at him.

Judging by the set, stubborn look on her face, Draco nodded in understanding accepted the clothing. "Yeah, sure. I'll keep them for you," he told her and taking her hand, began to lead the way back to her school. Behind them, the light of the portal went out. Kagome looked back and saw that it had disappeared.

"Well sure, but why do that? I may never wear them again," she said as she carefully picked her way behind him in the dark.

"Oh, you will. I'll make sure of it."

His voice sounded a little too full of confidence to Kagome and she frowned. She knew that she would have to be careful around him from now on. He felt like he could be a very sneaky person.

"Well, if you say so," she remarked and soon she saw they had come to a stop. "Are we back?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he replied softly. Setting the bundle of clothes on the ground, he leapt up to the top of the wall and—as he had done before—sat astride the wall, a leg dangling on each side. "Give me your hand," he commanded her and reached down to her. Kagome did as she was told and soon found herself sitting on the wall in front of him.

But he did not set her down into the garden immediately. Instead he kept her with him for a moment. When she asked him what was wrong, he chuckled softly.

"Nothing's wrong, my tiny human," was his reply.

As it was quite dark, Kagome was startled when she felt his hands run up her arms and cup her face gently. She gasped and tried to pull away and instantly chided herself. When would she learn that when he held on to her that he wasn't going to let her go?

"What are you doing?" she hissed nervously at him. His face was barely visible but she could feel that his face was quite close to hers.

Draco's warm breath danced across her cheek and she realized he was laughing silently.

"You can't go anywhere," he said quietly. "I haven't collected my payment yet."

"What, now?"

"Yes, now."

"Why didn't you do it when we were still at the house?" Her voice quavered a little at the thought of him being so close to her, his face buried against her throat. If she was honest with herself, that was just what she wanted. She wanted him to press his face against her neck—but she wanted him to him to do much more to her than simply take in her scent.

With her heart pounding excitedly in her chest, Kagome felt wonderfully alive and incredibly aroused by this gorgeous male in front of her. What did it matter that he wasn't human? Her common sense seemed to be slipping rapidly away and all she wanted to do was pounce on him. Or rather, she wanted him to pounce on her since he seemed to know what he was doing and she was sadly lacking in the lovemaking department. Wait a minute, who said anything about making love? Didn't he just want to inhale her scent? What the hell was wrong with her? Oh, damn her stupid hormones!

"I needed your body to warm up a little. Your blood flows better when there's no cold to constrict your blood vessels. When you're warm, your scent is much more pronounced."

"I see. Thanks for the biology lesson," she retorted dryly, still frustrated with herself. Now all she wanted to do was go to her room and go to bed.

"You asked so I had to answer you. Did you want me to lie to you?"

"Well, no—"

"Alright then. Now hush," he told her and tilted her head back with one hand. With the other, he brushed her hair away. Then he bent down and pressed his nose to the warm skin of her throat.

The instant she felt his face came in contact with her, Kagome's breath caught in her lungs. He inhaled deeply, held it, and then exhaled. He repeated the process once, then twice more and each time he seemed breathe in a little deeper than before.

All the while, his hands cradled her gently and for Kagome, she felt as though she might melt away at any moment. He was such a big man and would undoubtedly be able to crush her skull with one of his massive hands. She could tell he was being very careful not hurt her as he held her head back, for his hands were trembling.

That thought struck her as odd. He was trembling?

"What's the matter?" she asked. Just as she did so, his dropped his hands so that he was holding onto her upper arms. "Draco, what is it?"

He said nothing but his hands began to knead her arms, as though agitated. Kagome winced at the pressure. What was he so riled up about?

"What's the matter?" she asked him again. "Did I do something wrong?"

In the dark, she could just see him shake his white-haired head.

"No, you didn't do anything," he replied in an odd voice. "Thank you… for letting me smell you."

"Ah. You're welcome." She stared up at him, wondering impatiently whether he was going to tell her what she smelled like to him—for she certainly wanted to know. "Well? Aren't you going to tell me what I smell like?" she asked. "I'm just dying to know the reason you wanted to do this weird thing to me."

But Draco remained silent for a long time and as she waited for him to tell her, her impatience grew. At last she had had enough of waiting and decided to get off this damned wall and go to bed when he finally spoke.

"I've caught little hints of your scent before," he told her in a very solemn voice, "but I always thought you were wearing some sort of perfume. But on the day I met you and Sango at the beach, I smelt it again and I realized that you wouldn't wear perfume on a day when you'd be on a beach. I knew you and Sango had been in the water briefly because I could smell the sea water on you both and yet, your perfume-like scent was quite strong. It was then I realized that it hadn't been perfume you'd been wearing, but your own natural scent.

"That day I really wanted to ask you if you'd let me—you know—_smell_ you, but I didn't have the guts. So I got as close to you as I could without you making a fuss." Draco paused and his hands slid back up to cradle her head again. "It was all I could do not to bury my face between your thighs," he said hoarsely. "The way you smelled made my mouth water."

"Oh. I see," Kagome said, her voice coming out in a breathy moan. "Um, please don't talk like that anymore. It's… it's…"

"It's what? Indecent? Distasteful?" His voice sounded almost angry. "But then, I suppose you're not used to a man being straightforward with you." With a sigh he leaned forward and sniffed her from her shoulder, up her neck and to her ear.

Without meaning to, Kagome began to giggle anxiously at the sensation. She could feel his confusion as he pulled quickly away from her.

"What the hell's so funny?" he demanded irritably.

Smothering a smile, but knowing that he could probably see it anyway, Kagome shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you were tickling me." A laugh escaped her before she could contain it and she went on. "It felt like a dog was snuffling in my ear and that really tickled."

His astonishment was evident to her, even in the dark when she couldn't see it. "I… reminded you of a dog?" He did not sound hurt, to Kagome's relief. Instead, he sounded almost thoughtful.

This time she succeeded in holding back her laughter, just barely. "A couple of years ago, I came across a man walking his dog on the beach. The dog was a big beautiful golden retriever and very friendly. When I bent down to pet him, he lunged at me and knocked me down and then proceeded to sniff and lick my face. The way you sniffed at me just now reminded me of that. So yes, you reminded me of a dog." She smiled but it did not last. The smile wavered and died on her lips. Something in the back of her mind stirred and she opened her mouth to say something, but the thought was whipped away before she could give tongue to it. For a moment after, Kagome wondered what she had been about to say.

But Draco remained silent and Kagome began to squirm on her portion of the wall. "Look, I'm sorry. You got what you wanted and I'm pretty tired now. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful present. I appreciate it more than you know." She smiled up at him, wishing she could see his face clearly. When he said nothing, Kagome heaved an impatient sigh and prepared to jump off the wall and into the garden. She knew she shouldn't take the leap, since she couldn't see where she would land. But he seemed preoccupied so she felt that she oughtn't to disturb him.

"That's what I am, you know."

Just as she was about to push herself away from the wall, Kagome turned to look at him. "What's that?" she asked.

He shifted slightly and Kagome could feel his hand on her arm. "A dog," he told her in a hushed and solemn voice. "Well, a dog youkai, anyway."

"Really?" Kagome was intrigued. Strangely amusing visions of him rolling around on the floor, begging to have someone scratch his belly began to flow through her head. "I see. That's interesting. Can you change into a dog?"

Draco snorted in the dark. "No, of course not!" He paused before adding, "Well… at least, not yet I can't. My dad can, and so can my eldest brother and eldest sister—they're twins, you see—but I'm not ready to do that yet. You have to be a certain age before you're able to change. Also, you have to be a full-blooded youkai, which of course I am." There was a strong note of pride in his voice which made Kagome smile. "But it's weird since my mom is an elf. Somehow, she managed to give birth to three full-blooded youkai offspring."

"Yeah, that _is_ weird," she agreed solemnly.

He fell silent again and Kagome sighed. "Well, thanks again for tonight. Could you lower me down to the ground? I can't really tell how high up we are."

"Huh? Oh, sure." Nimbly, Draco leapt off the wall into the garden. He reached up, grabbed Kagome by the waist and lifted her. Then he set her gently down in front of him. "The garden is pretty dark. Can you find your way back on your own? I can guide you through if you want. You know I have superior vision. All youkai do."

"No thanks, I think I can manage it." She smiled up at him, appreciative of his thoughtfulness but she was also amused by his intense pride in being a youkai. Since he seemed to be in a better mood, she decided to try asking him again. "So… what did I smell like to you?"

His hand reached out for her in the dark and his long fingers threaded themselves through her silky hair. "You smelled wonderful, like a garden that contained every sweet-smelling flower in the world and they were all in bloom at once." He paused, leaned down and sniffed her hair.

"Huh?" Kagome felt odd, hearing him sniff at her hair. But then she remembered he was a demon dog and thought that meant he was not so different from a real dog. "But that's silly. How can every flower be in bloom at one time?"

"Don't ruin it for me," Draco growled a very dog-like growl in her ear. "Of course every flower in the world can't all be in bloom simultaneously. I'm just saying that's what _you_ smell like to me." With a flick of his wrist, he tossed her hair over her shoulder and bent down to press his nose against her throat. He inhaled her skin deeply. "But the odd thing is that your scent is… rather… familiar. I just wish I knew where I've smelled it before."

"At the beach, remember? You just said so… and at the mall, too. Remember?" She didn't see how he couldn't. He had certainly kept her close enough.

"No. Somewhere else besides those places. I just wish I could remember…" His voice was so soft that she had to strain to hear him.

Kagome closed her eyes as his fingers brushed against her neck. She groaned as his hand dropped downwards to her waist and around to the small of her back. Just as she was beginning to enjoy feeling her body being pressed against his, she felt the heat of his mouth against the bare flesh of her neck. Something like two pinpricks on her skin brought her out of her lust-filled haze and she realized that the pinpricks were actually the tips of Draco's fangs.

As soon as he pressed his fangs against her, something awoke in Kagome. Instinctively, she brought her arms up and pushed herself away. "What do you think you're doing? You can't do that!" she demanded and took a step back. She actually had no idea what he was about to do to her, but somehow she knew it wasn't right. "Seriously, you want to get me into trouble? My guardian would kill me!"

The ensuing silence told Kagome that Draco seemed to be thinking this over. "No, of course not. Sorry," he said at last and moved away from her. But his hands remained on her. "I should go now."

She breathed a sigh of relief. To be alone with him for much longer was beginning to worry her. "Yes, I think you should. Good night, Draco, and thanks again." With that, she turned and made her way through the teacher's garden as quickly as she could.

The tall youkai stared after her, panting, his mouth hanging open. It took him several frustrating minutes before his fangs fully retracted. When they did, he leapt to the top of the garden wall before he jumped lightly down on the other side. He bent to pick up the clothing Kagome had given back to him.

After checking to make sure that the gloves were still wrapped up in the coat, Draco took off back to his hotel room. The moment he got back, he locked the door, tossed the bundle of clothing on a chair and threw himself wearily onto the bed. After staring sightlessly up at the ceiling for a long time, Draco shut his eyes with a groan. Kagome had no idea how hard it had been for him to let her walk away, when it was all he could do to keep from running after her and claim a kiss from her anyway.

He sighed and rolled over onto his side. If he were honest with himself, he'd have taken a little more than a kiss from her. He knew that and his youkai knew that. Thankfully, she was human and could not see in the dark. The moment he had smelled her wonderful scent, he had felt his body temperature soar and felt his eyes bleed. When he had smelled her that last time, he had barely been in control of his youkai; his fangs had lengthened and he was fully prepared to sink them into her soft flesh. But there had been something which kept him from letting go, and it was not just her pushing him away. If he had let loose his youkai, she would have been his now.

Or would she?

Draco opened his eyes. Would she really have been his? He was not so sure. Was it his imagination, or had there been some sort of barrier on her? He had nicked her with his teeth, of that he was certain. But there had not been a hint of her blood, which he would have most certainly detected.

He yawned and got up to brush his teeth and change his clothes. Once that was taken care of, Draco pulled back the comforter on the bed and after turning off the lights, slid in between the sheets. As he curled up into a ball on his side, his cell phone went off. By the tune it played, Draco knew exactly who was calling him. It rang and rang, but Draco lay very still and ignored it. At last it ceased to ring, Draco sighed. As he knew it would, his phone emitted a beep which informed him that the caller had left him a voice mail.

"Of course you would," he growled into the darkness. Although he did not listen to the message, he could only imagine what the caller had to say to him. Regret washed over him. He _never_ should have agreed to work for him. It was like he had made a deal with the devil.

ooooooooooooooo

The next day, Sango and Kagome asked their chaperones if they could go to the beach. The two teachers readily agreed and soon the foursome was on their way to their sandy destination.

It was a glorious day on Waikiki beach. The sands were soft and white, the sky a brilliant and cloudless blue and the turquoise waters were crystal clear. To a tourist, this scene would be awe-inspiring. But to Kagome, who saw this sight many times a year, the awe had dimmed. She could not help but marvel at the stark contrast of the weather in that little house near Tokyo that Draco had whisked them off to. She smiled a little sadly at the sun-drenched beach. Already she missed the cold and the snow.

Kagome and Sango picked a spot a little ways away from Jenson and Greenwell, who already seemed to forget about keeping an eye on their two charges. Within moments of placing their towels on the sand, they were off and talking, both absently applying sunscreen to themselves.

After they had spread out their own towels and sat down, Sango sighed. "I wonder who could stand to listen to them before they met," she joked. "Or maybe they waited all their lives for a chance to talk and now that they've found their soul mate, they can't shut up." Opening the small beach bag she always brought, she reached in to retrieve a bottle of sunscreen. She squirted some in her hand before handing the bottle to Kagome. "I thought girls our age were bad, but I've _never_ seen two adult women talk so much and get as animated as a couple of teenagers. You'd think they'd have run out of things to say by now."

With a laugh, Kagome agreed.

Sunscreen applied, the two girls headed off to swim in the sparkling water.

A few hours later, when they'd had their fill of swimming and sunbathing, they were ready to leave. As she had brought more stuff to pack, Sango said she would be along in a moment after she let their teachers know they wanted to go home. Kagome, who had brought only a towel and sandals, nodded and went on ahead to one of the outdoor rinsing stations to wash off the sand and salt water. She liked this particular shower station, as it afforded the user some privacy. Kicking her sandals off to the side, she tossed her towel on the ground on top of them before turning around to turn the water on.

As Kagome stood underneath a spray of warm water, she felt the presence of someone behind her. "Sorry," she said with a quick look over her shoulder. A blonde woman stood behind her, seeming to be waiting patiently. "I'm almost done."

The person behind her did not reply, which made Kagome a little anxious. Hurriedly, she reached over to turn off the water with one hand and with the other she grabbed her towel to wrap around her. 'Perhaps she can't hear me,' Kagome thought to herself. 'Or maybe she's just unfriendly.'

"Excuse me. I hope I didn't take too long," Kagome said with an apologetic smile and attempted to pass by the blonde female.

But the blonde woman stepped to the side, directly in Kagome's path. Kagome mumbled an apology and tried to step past her again. Once again, the blonde stepped in her way. Confused, Kagome jerked back and looked up into the woman's face. She would have asked the woman what the problem was but the words died in her throat.

The woman standing in front of her, thought Kagome, was very beautiful. She was tall and slender, with pale yellow hair pulled back into a bun and smooth alabaster skin. Her slim, lithe body was clad in a bikini with bright red cherries splashed liberally on a background of cream and her feet were bare. But her eyes… the look in them made Kagome feel distinctly uneasy. While they were a lovely shade of blue, within the depths of those unblinking orbs a strange emotion burned and Kagome could not figure out what it was.

Before Kagome could say anything, Sango came into the shower area. She peered around the blonde woman to look at Kagome. "Hey, what's taking so long?" she asked quizzically. Her gaze rested on the strange woman before returning to Kagome. "Come on. They're waiting on us."

"Oh, sure. Coming, Sango." Kagome went over to slip into her sandals. "Excuse me," she said to the silent woman as she passed by to exit the shower with Sango.

As they trudged to the Pualani's school van, Sango asked, "Who was that?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. She didn't say anything. Why do you ask?"

It was Sango's turn to shrug. "Don't know. She seemed… weird."

"Yeah," was all Kagome could say.

On the way back to school, Kagome stared out of the window. But it wasn't the scenery she saw as they flew by. She had just realized what she'd seen in the woman's eyes and it puzzled her entirely. What she had seen in those blue eyes was the unmistakable look of recognition.

oooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It wasn't until the first of January that Sesshoumaru and his mate returned home to her world. Their daughters Athena and Artemis had already departed for their homes in Tokyo as they were due to go on assignment in a few hours.

The moment Miranda stepped through the portal, she felt strange. When she turned to look at her husband, she became instantly alarmed. Sesshoumaru's face was as grim as she had ever seen it and she knew that he felt that something was wrong in her world as well.

"Sess?" Her voice was soft. Tentatively, she reached out for him.

Without looking at her, he grabbed her hand. "There is something wrong," he murmured in a hushed tone. His face was grave. "There is something _very_ wrong."

They had not been long in their home when the Emperor's personal messenger arrived. In the foyer, he conveyed the message that Sesshoumaru was needed immediately by the Emperor.

"Did Hiro say anything about me?" Miranda asked fearfully. "Does he need me as well?"

The messenger looked over the parchment that Hiro had given him and shook his head. "No, my lady. His Royal Highness does not request your attendance."

Miranda scowled. There was no way she was going to be kept out of the loop on this! With a less-than-ladylike snort, she snatched the message away from the startled elf's hands. "Let me see this." Her bright blue eyes quickly skimmed the words that were written in her nephew's tidy hand. "So he doesn't say that he needs me."

"As I just said, my lady."

Her fierce gaze rested on the now-trembling elf's face. "But he does not say that he does _not_ need me!" With a haughty flick of her wrist, she tossed the paper back to the messenger, who fumbled it before catching it to his chest. "Then I shall accompany my mate. Tell the Emperor to expect both of us." The imperious look she gave him dared him to tell her no.

"Y-yes, my l-lady," the poor elf stammered and fled before she could speak another word.

"Was that really necessary?" Sesshoumaru asked, much amused. He had long ago learned of his beautiful mate's temper and how to avoid incurring it.

"Of course it was," replied the elf princess. She turned to the mirror by the door and checked her reflection. "He was going to keep me from coming with you and that was just not going to happen." With a final pat to her long blonde tresses, she grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand. "Let's get going. We mustn't keep my nephew waiting."

ooooooooooooooooooo

When Sesshoumaru and Miranda arrived, they were shown into Hiro's personal office.

Hiro bowed. "Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru, you've come. And you've brought my aunt. Or rather, she came on her steam, I'd wager."

Feeling his mate's eyes on him, Sesshoumaru said nothing and returned a bow to the emperor. Miranda, on the other hand, refused to remain silent. "Of course I came. Did you expect me not to?"

Hiro smiled. "Oh, I _knew_ you would. That is why I made no mention of you in my message. If I had told you outright not to, you would show up anyway and you would be furious with me for telling you that I did not need you. So I gave you a way out. Or rather, a way in. Please, have a seat." He motioned to Sesshoumaru for him to come forward and the two men held a whispered conversation for a moment. It ended with Sesshoumaru giving a nod to Hiro, before the former went to stand beside his mate.

As for Miranda, she glanced around the room when she entered and saw that her nephew's office was full of people. The first person that caught her eye was Inuyasha. He had risen along with the others and when they all resumed their seats he gallantly offered her his chair. With a smile of thanks, she took it.

Yuki was sitting rather stiffly in a high backed armchair that was positioned near his brother's desk. He gave her a short nod of acknowledgement. With a prick of concern, Miranda could not help but notice that his usually beautiful face was rather tired and drawn. That was very unusual because he always looked in the best of health.

The others, she noted, were all of the Slayer Corp's founding members. Along with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, there were Shippo, Kirara, Ginta and Hakkaku. The only one missing was Kouga, she thought with sadness. She had liked him very much. Kouga had been a gentle, warm soul, with the loveliest black hair she had ever seen…

The door to the office opened. All turned to see the newcomer and ripple of surprise went through the assembled company. As for Miranda, she jumped to her feet and gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

Kouga stood in the doorway.

"Sorry I'm late. I just got your message, Hiro."

Miranda bit back a sob. Of course this person wasn't Kouga. He was dead. "Yuri?"

Yuri came in the room and smiled at the elf princess. "Yes. Who else would I be?" A heavy silence answered Yuri and the wolf demoness' smile faltered. "Oh, I see. You all thought I was my father." She smiled brightly at the assembled company. "So sorry to disappoint everyone!" she chirped cheerfully and gave a wave of her hand.

"No! No, don't say that!" Miranda rushed forward and embraced Yuri tightly. "You look just like him, you know. So it gave us a bit of a start to see you standing there. Come, my dear, sit. The meeting hasn't started yet." She was about to give up her chair to Yuri when Ginta and Hakkaku each offered their seats to Yuri.

She smiled at the two older wolf demons and shook her head. It had been a long time since she had seen her father's pack mates. For as long as she could remember, she had looked upon them as uncles. "I'm fine standing. Please, resume your seats." She retreated to one of the windows and leaned back against it.

"Now then," Hiro began and took his chair behind his desk. "Yuki and I thank you all for coming on such short notice. I trust that Yuri will not be penalized for missing her departure time, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "If she was called to a meeting which consisted of all the founding members of the Corp, then there was a good reason to miss her assignment departure." He glanced over his shoulder at Yuri and the breath in his chest caught. Every time he looked at her, he saw her father and he was amazed at how much the two looked alike. That she was meant to be his mirror image was obvious to Sesshoumaru; he could smell the Shikon's potent magic emanate from her very being. It wafted around her like a subtle perfume.

Kagome had grieved so deeply for her wolf demon that she had used the jewel to change her unborn baby from a hanyou to a pure-blooded demon. She had to be pure-blooded, if she were to look exactly like her father. Had she not been, Yuri would have been born with small furry ears on the top of her head like Inuyasha. He couldn't help but wonder what Kagome would have done or how she would have reacted had Yuri been born male and as pureblooded as his father.

The Taiyoukai smiled at Yuri, who smiled back, a little puzzled by the intent way she was being scrutinized. He could not blame Kagome for using the jewel's power as she had, for she had had the misfortune to witness her beloved husband being murdered right before her eyes. Besides, what was the harm in having a child that would resemble him in nearly every conceivable way? It wasn't as if she were a demon who planned to use the jewel for an ill purpose. She had been merely a woman grieving for the man she loved.

"Why was Yuri asked to the meeting?" Inuyasha asked, perplexed. "She is not a founding member."

"I'm glad you asked that," Hiro replied with a warm smile at Yuri. "It's a request that Kouga made before his death." His smile faded and his face grew serious. "You see, he felt that he should be represented when all Sesshoumaru and the others gathered together to discuss Corp business. So he decided that when you were mature enough, you were to step into his shoes."

Yuri blinked at the emperor. Her mind could not fully grasp what he saying. "My father wanted me to take his place? Why would he want me to do that?"

Sesshoumaru shot a look at Hiro. "I think I will let Hiro explain that."

"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru," Hiro said with a nod and cleared his throat. "But I'll leave that topic for the moment, if you don't mind?"

There was a murmured consent and the Emperor continued.

"Just after Christmas day— what I can only describe as a disquieting sensation— occurred in a distant part of this realm. Since that day, several highly sensitive elves have contacted me and related to me what they felt." He looked at his aunt. "I think you must have sensed something was amiss when you arrived back in the realm."

Miranda nodded and Hiro continued.

"No one knows what it is. I even traveled to visit my Great-grandfather Kin where he and Great-grandmother Aki dwell in the far lands. It was unfortunate that Great-grandmother Aki's mother had already gone to join the light, for she was a great seer. But Aki has a powerful third eye as well, so I asked her."

"What did she sense?" asked Miranda. She felt sad upon hearing that her great-grandmother had left the realm— or joined the light— as it was known. Elves, like youkai, do not die unless mortally wounded. But if they are truly exhausted from their life's journey, they simply vanish and become one with the light. This left their souls to be free to roam or to be reincarnated if they so chose. Miranda said a silent prayer for her great-grandmother and turned her attention back on her nephew.

Hiro's face grew dark. "She told me that she felt something large and powerful gathering in the uncharted lands of this realm. It had negative energy and was growing larger by the day."

"Negative energy?" Shippo stroked Kirara's tiny back as she slept on his lap. He shifted as carefully as possible so as not to wake the fire cat. "You mean youkai energy? Was that what she referring to?"

The emperor nodded. "Yes."

"A large amount of youkai energy that grows by the day," murmured Sesshoumaru thoughtfully. "But how is that possible? I thought that the elves were keeping track of all youkai traffic within this realm."

"Do not doubt that we are," Yuki said in a tight voice. He had been sitting motionless in his chair, but when he spoke he began bouncing one leg agitatedly up and down.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru exchanged glances. Seeing Yuki behave in this unusual manner made them begin to feel a little nervous. Rarely did this elf show such an emotion.

"So what do you need us to do?" Ginta asked quietly. Neither he nor his pack mate cared very much for the Crown Prince, whom they knew hated their little Yuri, whom they looked upon as a beloved niece. "Or are we being accused of something?" he snapped as he glared hatefully at Yuki.

Yuki did not miss the angry stares of the wolves that were being directed at him and he was instantly on the defensive. "Why do you ask? _Are_ you the ones responsible for what's been going on? It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case."

Hiro whipped around to silence his brother just as Ginta and Hakkaku got to their feet.

"That was uncalled for," snarled Hakkaku.

"Yes, it was," Hiro said quickly. "Yuki, mind your tongue."

Yuki only rolled his eyes and turned his face away from them. The two male wolves returned to their seats slowly, but their gazes were fixed warily on Yuki as if they were ready to pounce on him if he so much as made the wrong move.

"Anyway," continued Hiro, after shooting another look of warning at his brother, "we know that there is a large gathering of youkai energy in this realm. What I want to know is this: How are they getting in? I shall have my people search this world for the exact location, but it will be hard. As I said before, the area where we have been sensing the youkai activity is mostly unknown to us. My people prefer the light and this area is dark and full of shadows—_an evil place_. We have never dared to explore it."

"Why not let us do that?" suggested Sesshoumaru. With a wave of his hand he indicated the gathering of youkai around him.

Hiro shook his head. "We do not yet know what we are dealing with. Youkai may very well be drawn to the power growing there. If you or the others were to be overcome, we would have a large problem on our hands. Since youkai are the stronger race, who would be left to protect us from you? We elves have ways of protecting ourselves from dark energy."

Sesshoumaru and the other youkai nodded in silent agreement.

"So for now, let my people handle it. As for you, Yuri," said Hiro, "I think now is the time to explain why you are here." He smiled tenderly at her. "You are so much like your father, you know. I don't doubt you get tired of hearing that, but it's true. Your father had a gift; a gift that was not given to him through the power of the Shikon no Tama. He was blessed with a powerful intuition, and being your father's child, you too possess it. Am I right?"

Yuri nodded. "My mother told me that often." She felt elated, listening to Hiro speak so highly of her father. It was a real treat for her whenever someone who knew him would tell her about him. Ever since her mother had first shown her the picture of the man she would come to recognize as father, Yuri had desperately wished to connect with him. Of course that was impossible, as he was deceased, but still she could not help but wish.

"We need to harness that power, Yuri, so what I want you to do is this. Go on your assignments and find out what you can about any youkai—even low ranking youkai— that have gone missing from the mortal world. Lord Sesshoumaru and the others here will do the same. The amount of youkai that are being trapped here must come from somewhere and chances are they are being sent here from the mortal realm. For what purpose, has yet to be determined."

Here, Inuyasha cleared his throat. "What if this is Naraku's doing?" he asked, not a hint of reservation in his voice. At Inuyasha's softly uttered words, the room plunged into silence.

"Naraku." Sesshoumaru's voice was thoughtful. After a long, tense moment he turned an inquisitive glance in his little brother's direction. While the Taiyoukai's voice was soft, it held no hint of surprise, Hiro noted.

Inuyasha nodded. His face was grim.

"How?" Yuki asked sharply. He glared over at Inuyasha. "He was trapped in the jewel, wasn't he? I mean, _Thanos_ was trapped inside the jewel. Are you saying that he managed to escape somehow?"

"I don't know what I'm saying, alright?" Inuyasha retorted irritably. "All I know is that this _feels_ like something Naraku would do, but—" He shook his head with a snort of frustration. "It's been so long since any of us had to deal with him that I don't know for sure."

"I think you may be right, Inuyasha. Sadly, we have all gotten complacent," said Sesshoumaru with a nod. "Just because Naraku was imprisoned does not mean he did not find a way out. It seems that we've all forgotten what a slippery rogue he can be."

Hiro nodded. "I feel I must agree with both of you," he said to the inu brothers. "Naraku was trapped inside the jewel, but we do not know what happened to him when Kagome died."

"Exactly." Sesshoumaru crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze dropped to the floor in his contemplation. "If this _is_ Naraku's doing, then he would have used her death as an opportunity to escape. As she was the jewel's protector, only she could keep him there. I wish there was a way we could know for sure if what we're dealing with is in fact Naraku."

Inuyasha nodded and his face was thoughtful.

"What's on your mind, Inu?" Sesshoumaru asked as soon as he saw the look on his brother's face.

Inuyasha shook his head. An idea was forming in his mind but it had not taken shape yet. He was missing something, but he did not know what.

"Do you think he was the one who killed her?" Shippo asked quietly. His hand had stopped stroking Kirara's fur and she glanced questioningly up at the red-haired fox demon. She whimpered softly when she saw the look of sorrow on Shippo's face.

Inuyasha reached over to pat the kitsune on the head. In an instant he could recall many a time when he had simply pounded Shippo's small, flame-colored head out of sheer annoyance. "No," he said gently. "Akira killed Kagome. We all know that."

The second Inuyasha had uttered those words Yuri could not resist stealing a glance at Yuki, who had turned a ghastly shade of white as he glared daggers at the hanyou. He seemed to Yuri to want to yell at Inuyasha, but he managed to refrain from doing so. Barely.

"Is there anything you would like _me_ to do?" Miranda put in, feeling suddenly left out.

The Emperor sat wearily down in his chair behind his large desk. "Keep your senses open. Let me know the minute you sense something in the realm has changed."

"Do you think we'll be attacked?" the elf princess asked. "I mean, what if it's some kind of youkai army?" She shot a look at her mate, who nodded. Sesshoumaru had told her what things Naraku had done in the Warring Era, and being in control of hordes of youkai was one of them.

"There is no indication that this is the case," replied Hiro. "But again, I will send out a few elves to scout out the area so hopefully we will know for certain. Until you hear from me, do nothing except make inquiries about any missing youkai. I want to keep the humans in ignorance for the time being, so please use extra discretion."

With that, everyone was dismissed, leaving Hiro and Yuki alone. By the look on the emperor's face, Hiro seemed to want to have a few words with his brother; those words that would not be of the pleasant kind.

As they all headed to the portal room, Inuyasha pulled Yuri aside. "Hey, before you rejoin your team, would you like to come with me for an hour or two? I, uh, was going to go visit your family shrine. You know, for the new year."

"Sure. I'd love that," Yuri told her step-father with a smile.

ooo

The long walk up the snow-covered shrine steps brought back a lot of memories for both Yuri and Inuyasha. For Yuri, it was warm, sunny days when she had gone on walks to the local grocery store with her mother. Miroku had accompanied them many times, for he loved being with his aunt and his cousin. All three of them would laugh and enjoy the day, their arms laden with brown paper bags filled with fresh meat and vegetables that Aunt Haruka had asked them to get for supper.

For Inuyasha, his memories went much further back; to a time when Yuri's mother was an energetic teenage girl who traveled back and forth to his time, and then even long before then when there was no Tokyo.

Midway up the steps, Inuyasha stopped and turned to look around. Time had certainly flown, he thought soberly as he glanced at the sprawl of urban life spread out before him. As much as he was grateful that he had lived to see humans so technologically advanced, he sorely missed the days when there was nothing but forest and uninhabited lands as far as the eye could see.

"Inu? Are you okay?"

Inuyasha blinked and nodded. "Yeah. I'm just feeling a bit nostalgic. This place always does that to me." He turned and continued up the steps with Yuri.

As they neared the top, Inuyasha said: "I must admit that I haven't been here in a couple of years. No one was living here then so the shrine might be a little overgrown. The people who live around here do what they can to see that this place isn't completely taken over. Perhaps when you come back, we can do a little cleaning up."

When they reached the top, Yuri looked about them and replied with a quizzical frown: "Clean up what? I hate to say it, Inu, but it looks as though someone has already tidied the shrine grounds pretty well."

Puzzled, Inuyasha glanced around them. It was true. Someone had transformed the once-shabby shrine into the pristine place of worship it had once been.

He sniffed the cold January air. "Someone lives here," he said and sniffed again. "There's smoke coming out of the chimney." He pointed to the top of the cozy two-story house where Kagome and her family used to live.

Yuri sniffed the air as well. She thought a moment and this time, took inhaled deeply. "I don't believe it," she whispered, a slow grin spreading over her face. "Come on, Inu!" she cried and took off in the direction of Goshinboku, the god tree.

At the base of the tree was a man. He was bent over and trying to drag away a heavy branch that lay in front of the god tree. It was apparent he was having some difficulty.

"Looks heavy," Yuri said to the man's back. She could barely contain the smile on her face.

Startled, the man cried out and whirled around to face her. "Damn it to hell!" he yelled, his face red with cold and anger.

But Yuri only laughed and pulled him into a fierce embrace. "Miroku! Man, it's so good to see you again," she cried.

Miroku, who had managed to compose himself, gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Same here, Yuri," he said and returned the hug awkwardly. "But just so you know, I nearly crapped my pants when you snuck up behind me like that."

"Well, it serves you right for staying away so long." She released her cousin. "And you should watch your mouth, saying such things on shrine grounds. You'll be punished for that."

"I'm sure I will." Miroku turned to look at Inuyasha, who had silently observed the spectacle. "Inuyasha," he said and bowed to the hanyou. "It's been a long time since we last met."

Inuyasha returned the gesture. Then he glanced down at the heavy branch behind Miroku. "Need some help moving that?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the fallen branch.

Miroku looked behind him. "Oh, um, actually I was going to have someone come and chop it up for firewood. But if you could move it over by the old well house, I would be really grateful."

Yuri chuckled. "You're going to have someone chop this up? What's the matter, Miroku? Getting soft in your old age?" she said, giving him a soft jab in the arm. Although Yuri knew that her cousin was human and therefore would age, she had not been fully prepared to see him again. The last time she had seen him, he had been a boy of eighteen. Now he was a man of thirty-four.

He laughed and shook his head. "No, it's not that," he replied. "This branch has been sitting here since Christmas when it broke off during a heavy snowfall. I tried moving it then, but when I did I pulled a muscle in my shoulder." He flexed his right arm gingerly and winced in pain. "It still aches."

"Oh." Yuri lightly touched her cousin's injured arm. "Haven't you seen a doctor about this?" she asked.

At this, Miroku jerked away from her. "No," he replied stubbornly. "I don't like doctors. Besides, it's just a pulled muscle. With a little ibuprofen I'll be just fine."

"Then you don't need to be out here messing with this thing," Yuri retorted. She bent down and picked up the heavy branch easily with one hand. "Shall I take care of this or will you?" she asked, directing her question at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded and held out his hands for the branch. "I'll do it. Take Miroku inside and make him something hot to drink," he said, taking the wood from Yuri. "Where do you want the firewood stacked?" he asked Miroku.

When Miroku told him where to put the wood, he allowed Yuri to lead him into the house. It did not take long for Inuyasha to join them. He walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the sink to wash his hands. There he found the tea kettle already on the stove and Miroku seated at the kitchen table.

"What have you been doing with yourself all these years?" Yuri asked as she went to the cupboard to get three tea cups. It pleased her to know that Miroku had kept the kitchen just as it had been when his parents were alive. "And exactly _where_ have you been? Everyone wondered where you ran off to."

"I left Tokyo." Miroku stared absently off into space. "Went to live with my mother's cousin in the north. She died about three years ago and I had to handle her estate, since she was childless and had no other living relatives."

"Oh." Yuri set out the tea things on the table. "I'm glad you had a place to go to. I was worried about you."

"Well, you needn't have been. I was fine." Miroku blinked and cast his gaze down onto the table. "How… how is she?"

Inuyasha and Yuri glanced sharply at each other. "She?" Yuri asked. Did she dare hope that he was speaking of Kagome?

Turning his eyes up to Yuri, Miroku sighed and scratched his head. "My sister. She must be a teenager by now. How is she?"

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard in the kitchen was the sound of the water beginning to boil in the kettle. "I don't know," Yuri said quietly. "After your father's death, she became the ward of an elf. The one called Yuki."

Miroku thought for a moment. "Yuki. Sounds familiar. Tall blond guy, right? He's a prince, isn't he?"

The tea kettle began to whistle and Yuri turned to remove it from the heat. "Yes," she said bitterly. "Yuki is a prince."

"I thought so." Miroku rolled his right shoulder forward a few times when he felt his muscles stiffen up. "What's wrong with him? He isn't mistreating her, is he?"

Both Inuyasha and Yuri looked at Miroku with some surprise. Miroku grinned up at them self-consciously. "I know you weren't expecting me to have any good feelings towards the kid after the things I said, but after all she _is_ my sister and I've grown up a lot since I was eighteen. Back then I was a selfish brat and every day since then I have regretted leaving my dad to raise her alone. Besides, she _is_ my closest living relative. Not having much family… makes one grateful for the family one _does_ have."

Yuri went around the table to hug her cousin from behind. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that, 'Roku. I'm glad you finally came to terms with the past."

"Do you think I can meet her? Will Yuki arrange that for me?" When Yuri did not answer, Miroku turned on his chair to look back at his cousin. The look on her face made him frown. "What's wrong?" he asked Yuri.

Yuri gritted her teeth in anger. She wanted to unleash a verbal tirade against Yuki for every vile thing he had done, but that would be a waste of energy. Instead she took a deep breath and said: "Yuki took her away when she was seven years old and he's kept her hidden away ever since. He even set his house on fire with me inside it when I confronted him about his taking her away."

"What?" Miroku was on his feet in an instant, his sore arm forgotten. "He tried to kill you? That's awful!"

"Yeah, I know, so I find it pretty doubtful that he would consent to allow even you to see her," Yuri replied bitterly. "But it gets even better."

"How?" asked Miroku and Inuyasha in unison.

Yuri chuckled mirthlessly. She looked at Inuyasha, momentarily hesitant to explain herself. At last, she made up her mind. He would find out sooner or later. "Yuki plans on marrying her. Can you believe it? That… pedophile! She's only sixteen and already he's planning on making her his bride."

Miroku scowled and shook his head. "He can't do that! She's still a child! This has to be stopped." He moved over to the stove to retrieve the tea kettle, which Yuri had forgotten in her anger. From where he stood on the other side of the kitchen, Inuyasha watched Miroku curiously. He noted that when Miroku lifted the kettle with his right hand, it shook, as though it pained him. The shoulder injury, the hanyou thought and wondered why, if it was so uncomfortable, did he not have it attended to. Whatever; that was not his business. Still, something in the back of his mind stirred…

"And you plan on doing that, how?" Yuri was saying. She had crossed her arms over chest and leaned back against the sink as she watched her cousin pour out the hot water into the three cups. "He's a bloody prince, for pity's sake, _and_ he's her guardian to boot. Neither of us has any say in this or any means to stop him. If only Uncle Souta hadn't made Yuki her guardian, then…"

"That may be, but _I'm_ her brother. That _has_ to count for something, doesn't it?"

The demoness snorted. "Not to him it doesn't. To him, you would just be an impediment to him getting what he wants. Like me. I was an impediment. He separated us because he knew she loved me and wanted to be with me instead of him. Just wait. Yuki will do his hardest to keep Kagome ignorant of your existence. After all, hadn't he lied to her about me getting killed? And if she finds out he's been lying to her all these years, he'd just say that he was doing his job as her guardian."

"Her guardian, huh?" Miroku set the kettle awkwardly down on the stove and stared down at the three filled tea cups. "I… Wait a minute, please." Without another word, Miroku quickly left the kitchen and headed down the hall.

"I can't believe how grown up he is," Yuri murmured to Inuyasha as soon as her cousin left the room. "He could be such a little brat—" She broke off as soon as her eyes rested on Inuyasha's face. "Inu? What's the matter?"

The hanyou was standing quite still as his yellow eyes stared blindly out of the kitchen window. He barely heard what Yuri was saying to him. "Yuki wants to marry her," was all he could say. He sounded as though he had just heard the worst news he could possibly hear.

"Yeah. I tried to confront him about it— and Hiro, too— but Yuki only wanted to fight me. Hiro said there was nothing he could do to stop him, but to his credit he told me that he had no wish to see her become Yuki's mate. He agreed that she was still far too young for that."

When Inuyasha spoke again, his voice was very low, as though he were speaking only to himself. "He still hasn't gotten over her," he whispered.

"Inu—?" Despite the low tones in which he spoke, Yuri could plainly hear the sadness in his voice and her heart broke for him. Inuyasha had loved her mother profoundly; she had seen it every time she'd seen them together. Yuri was well aware of their troubled past, and how Inuyasha had been her mother's greatest heartbreak. But she also knew that he was her mother's first love. Even though her mother had been madly in love with her mate Kouga, her love for Inuyasha had never waned. Inuyasha, of course, knew this. Although it did not stop him from ceaselessly asking her to be his wife, it _did_ hurt him because he felt he needed to compete with a dead man for her love. But when she had finally agreed to marry him, he had been overjoyed that his heart's desire had come true at last.

At her mother's wedding to Inuyasha, Yuri felt happy. Not only was her mother not going to be alone anymore, but she was married to the man she had fell in love with so many years before. When it came to Inuyasha as her mother's choice of mate, Yuri felt satisfied. Now that he was her mother's husband, he could protect her from Yuki, that odious reptile in elf form. Yuri knew that she would be on Yuki's shit list for a long time to come, but that didn't matter a bit. As long as her mother was safe from him, she could endure his biting remarks about her youkai heritage and her dead father. And her mother was happy… which made Yuri happy.

But then her mother had died and Yuri was left with no one. No one, that is, save Inuyasha. Although she had enjoyed giving him a hard time and constantly reminded him that he wasn't her real father, he had made sure she had a roof over her head and food in her belly. Sometimes when Lady Miranda wasn't there to comfort her and she would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming for her mother, Inuyasha had coming running and held her even though she knew that he was suffering just as much as she was. By the time she had gotten old enough to join the Corp, she and Inuyasha had become the best of friends. In her quiet moments during basic training, Yuri often wondered how she would have made it through her grief without him. They had needed each other; she was his physical connection to her mother and he was Yuri's connection to her mother's past.

After Inuyasha, Dante and Tiberius had saved her from the hellish inferno that had been Yuki's home, Yuri had confided to Inuyasha just who her little cousin really was. To his credit, Inuyasha had not batted an eye upon hearing that Souta's little girl was his own beloved Kagome reborn.

So to hear that another man had designs on the woman he loved, the news had naturally upset him greatly.

Tenderly she took the hanyou's hand in hers and squeezed it. He blinked and looked down at their joined hands before casting his eyes up to hers. "Yuri?"

"Don't worry. We'll come up with something. I have a feeling that Miroku will be the key to gaining the upper hand on Yuki."

Before Inuyasha could reply, Miroku returned. In his hand, he held a letter. "I got this letter just the other day," he told them and handed the paper to Yuri. "It seems to be from Dad's lawyer. Or rather, Dad's lawyer's son sent this because the lawyer Dad used to draw up my parents' wills passed away a few years ago. Anyway, Dad sent a letter to his lawyer a couple of days before he died in the car crash. According to the letter, he felt guilty that he would be leaving Kagome to the elf and not to someone in her own family. So he wrote to ask the lawyer to change his will, saying that they were to track me down in order to inform me that I was Kagome's guardian. However, if I refused to be her caretaker or they could not locate me, then the care of Kagome would be given to you." He nodded at Yuri, whose hands had begun to shake.

"Oi, are you alright?" Inuyasha asked the pale and shocked demoness.

Handing the letter back to Miroku, Yuri dropped heavily down onto the nearest chair. "He wanted _me_ to be her guardian?" she whispered hoarsely, her eyes wide and glistened with unshed tears.

"Of course he did," Miroku replied with a smile, as if that was the most obvious conclusion in the world. "I was just eighteen and not fit to be guardian to anyone. Besides, I was very bitter about Kagome. Dad knew that all too well, since I had argued with him and Mom while she was pregnant. Had I stuck around, you would have gotten that responsibility without any resistance from me."

With a sob of despair, Yuri buried her face in her hands while Inuyasha asked to see the letter. Miroku handed it over without a word. Inuyasha frowned. "But why didn't they notify you earlier? Or you, Yuri? Surely if they couldn't find Miroku, they would know where to find you. They should have at least had the decency to tell you…" His eyes skimmed over the pages. He frowned. "The letter from Souta got lost? What kind of bullshit is that?"

"Well, apparently it happened," Miroku said with a shrug. Inuyasha handed the letter back and he took it, carefully folding it. "I think we should go to Yuki and make this right. It's a shame Dad died before the will was legally changed, though. Everything would have been a whole lot easier on everyone."

Inuyasha patted Yuri on the back while she continued to sob. "Well, bringing this to Yuki's attention is not a good idea, so he isn't the one we need to go to. Miranda is the one we should approach about this and she can intercede with Yuki on your behalf. Or have her go meet with Hiro. That's probably best. Hiro has a strong hold over Yuki, and not just because he's the emperor, either."

"Hiro?" Miroku looked puzzled. "He's Yuki's brother, isn't he?" He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Oh yeah, I remember him. A dark-haired elf with an ordinary sort of face, wasn't he? I always thought it was strange how he and Yuki were brothers. I mean, they're so different in appearance, aren't they? Sure, I remember. He and Dad used to be really close. So he's an emperor? Wow, Dad knew some important people, huh?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded. "Hiro definitely knows how to handle Yuki. Even better, Hiro really cares about Yuri. He'd make sure this whole situation was taken care of." To Yuri he said: "How does it feel to know that you finally have the advantage? He'll have to give her up to you now."

"Do you actually think he'd do that?" Yuri sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "Yuki would _never_ give her up, especially to me. He hates me too much. Also, think about it. He took her away and hid her. Why else would he do that? Obviously to hurt me, but now we know that there was to be a change to Uncle Souta's will. What if Yuki found out about that? Wouldn't he take her away to some place where human laws couldn't touch him, just in case you or I decided to contest the will?"

Miroku shook his head. "The fact that my father wanted to change his will wasn't known until only recently and the law firm said they have only contacted me. Apart from his deceased lawyer, that is. They told me that Yuki has not been able to be reached for many years now, so naturally they couldn't pass the word along to him."

"Ah." Yuri straightened suddenly and rubbed her hands together, a look of gleeful satisfaction on her face. "I'd give anything to be in the room when he hears this bit of news, the sleazy bastard. That's _going_ to hurt, hearing that Uncle Souta had changed his mind about giving him custody of Kagome."

Inuyasha nodded. "Okay then. I'll get in touch with Miranda today. You, young lady, need to get going so you don't miss your transport. Miroku, I'll be back shortly."

Miroku cast his face down in feigned disappointment. "Aw, but I wanted to go!"

The hanyou chuckled. "Sorry, Miroku, but no can do. At least you can't for now; I'd have to get my hands on some elven antidote first. Can't have you go stark raving mad because you accidentally looked at the wrong elf. Wait here; I'll be back as soon as I can."

The moment that Yuri left to join her squad, Inuyasha opened a portal and stepped into the swirling blue void. He needed to get this whole mess straightened out, not only for Kagome's sake but for Yuri's and Miroku's sakes as well.

As he strode through halls of Sesshoumaru and Miranda's wing of the Imperial Palace, a little voice in the back of his mind whispered: "You're doing this for your own sake too, aren't you? You want her back."

'_Shut up!'_ he thought angrily. His footsteps quickened as if he could run away from the traitorous thoughts in his head.

At last he reached the apartments inhabited by his brother and sister-in-law. He knocked.

Miranda answered the door. "Inu?" She greeted him with a smile, but it faltered when she saw his stormy countenance. "Come in! What's the matter?" She led him into the sitting room and begged him to sit down while she sank gracefully down onto her divan.

The hanyou managed to compose himself before he spoke. "Miranda, I have a favor to ask of you." He then proceeded to tell her of his and Yuri's visit to the Higurashi shrine, the meeting with Miroku and the subsequent conversation concerning his father's will. When he had finished, Miranda stared with horror at him.

"Souta never wanted Yuki to be Kagome's guardian?" she cried softly. Her hands had come up to her face to cover her mouth. "Oh, poor Yuri! That poor, poor young woman! After all Yuki has put her through… and she was the one he had chosen to look after that child! Well, after Miroku, that is. But we all know he wouldn't have taken his sister in anyhow, not in the state of mind _he_ was in." The princess jumped up and began to pace around the spacious living room. "Such a horrible mistake, Inu. Horrible!"

"Both she and Miroku are anxious to fix this heinous error, Miranda, but we all know that Yuki has done much to keep Kagome hidden away all these years. He will not listen to me or Yuri, and I doubt he'd give Miroku a chance to plead his case either. Either you or Hiro must be the ones to tell Yuki that if he ever held Souta in esteem, he should do what Souta wanted and give Kagome up to her family."

Upon hearing this, Miranda heaved a steadying sigh and ceased to pace, a look of determination on her lovely face. Inuyasha had to look away from that sweet countenance. Although he was part demon and could usually handle looking at her, but he was still part human and the sight of her 'cursed face' was making him feel a little light-headed and shaky. "Alright," she said, catching sight of Inuyasha's pallor. She made a mental note to get her hands on some antidote for him. "Let's go."

But Yuki was nowhere to be found, which left both Miranda and Inuyasha with the sinking feeling that the Crown Prince of the Elves would not be found for some time. Until he was located, there was nothing more for either of them to do but wait. Miranda promised that she would tackle her wayward nephew the moment she could pin him down and Inuyasha, grateful for her assistance, returned to the mortal world and to the waiting Miroku.

Both the elf and hanyou knew this would be an uphill battle, but they also knew that Souta's letter to his lawyer would make Miroku's—or Yuri's, for that matter— claim of guardianship of Kagome tenuous at best. There was no doubt that Souta's request to change his will was authentic, but the glaring fact remained:_ the will had never been changed_. Fate had intervened – Souta's life had ended and the letter that would have changed everything had gotten lost.

Miroku took the news that Yuki had not been available in stride. Although he was upset that this matter could not be resolved quickly, he told Inuyasha that he would not give up.

"Good, you better not give up," said Inuyasha with a curt nod. Beneath the baseball cap he always wore, his ears ached from being cooped up for so long. Without a thought, he reached up and removed the cap, thus releasing his ears from their long captivity. They twitched and the movement drew Miroku's attention. The human stared at them for a long moment, his eyes unable to glance away.

"What is it?" asked Inuyasha with a frown. He was puzzled by the way Miroku was looking at him. Hadn't Miroku seen his ears before, when he was just a child?

But by the look on Miroku's face—which was a strangely far-off one— Inuyasha felt almost positive that he hadn't seen them after all. With a sigh, he lifted the cap back up to this head.

Miroku flung out a hand and exclaimed, "Wait! No, don't do that!"

Inuyasha, startled by the younger man's cry, stared at him with his hand still gripping the bill of his cap. After a moment's contemplation, he pulled the hat from his head and sat it down on the kitchen table. The idea that stirred in his brain at the meeting earlier began to make its way to the forefront of his mind. "You've seen my ears before. Haven't you?" he asked slowly.

This seemed to confuse Miroku, who reached up to scratch his chin. "Yes, of course I have…" He shook his head slowly, his dark brows furrowed into a frown. "But I feel so strange because they look so familiar, as though I'd seen them many times… before…" Miroku confessed after a few minutes of silent reflection.

"I don't understand."

Miroku sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, I don't know how to explain it."

"Well, give it a try," Inuyasha said encouragingly.

Narrowing his eyes, Miroku studied the top of Inuyasha's head for a long moment. "Well," he began at last, "I know that I've seen your ears before. Aunt Kagome loved them, I know that for sure. But I feel as though I've seen them before… through eyes that have seen a different life."

A jolt went through the hanyou, though he tried very hard not to let Miroku see that his words had startled him. Apparently the human hadn't, for he continued on slowly with his musings.

"When you first took off your hat, I glanced at your ears. Then the oddest thing happened. You and I were suddenly in a small village that was completely surrounded by forest." Miroku's lips curved into a rueful half-smile. "You should have seen the huts, Inuyasha. They were all so quaint… humble. But it was a sad moment because you were leaving on a long trip. And of course, at my side was my—" He stopped abruptly and turned to look away.

"Your what?"

Pinching his lips shut, Miroku shook his head.

His heart pounding furiously in his chest, Inuyasha stared intently at Miroku. He knew exactly what Miroku was talking about, for he too, recalled that memory. They had bid each other farewell before Inuyasha and the other youkai left for the continent in their search of Naraku. At that time, since he was the strongest among them, Miroku was promoted to leader of the village. Kaede had just passed away, which also left Miroku in charge of the village shrine. He remembered how age had begun to show on the monk's youthful face and the gray hair that had begun to show at his temples. But the monk was happy; the wind tunnel had mysteriously vanished one night. _'Besides,'_ Inuyasha thought with a small smile, _'he had Sango by his side. Of course he would be happy.' _

Miroku shifted uncomfortably and Inuyasha was brought back to the present. His yellow eyes slid down to Miroku's right hand and had a sinking feeling. Pulled muscle, indeed.

"What did you really do to your arm?"

That brought Miroku's head whipping around, his dark eyes defensive. "What do you mean? I already told you what happened, that when I tried moving a piece of Goshinboku I pulled something in my arm. There was a shooting pain in my hand that ran up to my shoulder. I've been in pain since then."

"Let me see." Inuyasha reached over as though to take Miroku's hand—which was bandaged— but Miroku jerked his hand away and the scent of terror filled Inuyasha's nostrils.

"No," whispered Miroku as his dark eyes flashed with fear.

It was then that Inuyasha's own fears had been realized. Naraku had indeed returned, and the curse that had afflicted the monk Miroku so many centuries ago had also reappeared.

But Inuyasha had a glimmer of hope and he stood. "In your father's study there was a wall safe. Open it," he commanded.

After only a moment's hesitation, Miroku nodded and got up. He led Inuyasha down the hall to where his father spent much of his time reading. Behind the desk was a replica of a Monet oil painting with water lilies a green Japanese bridge. Miroku carefully removed the painting and set it down on the floor.

"Dad gave me the combination when I was a child," said Miroku somberly. His fingers deftly twirled the combination knob left, right, then left again. There was a muted click and he pulled the heavy metal door open. Then he stepped back.

"A combination to safe where he kept personal items was a strange thing to give a child. Do you know why he gave it to you?" asked Inuyasha, stepping forward to peer inside.

"I… don't really know why."

Reaching into the dark aperture, Inuyasha extracted a velvet bag with its drawstrings pulled tight. "Open your hand," he instructed to Miroku. He loosened the strings and opened the bag, pouring the contents out onto Miroku's outstretched palm.

"A rosary?" Miroku asked, staring with much curiosity at the item in his hand.

"Yes. It will seal that hole in your hand," Inuyasha told him as he placed the now-empty velvet bag back into the wall safe. "At any rate, it will hold much more effectively than that fuda you've put on your palm."

Miroku glanced up sharply at the hanyou. "How did you know about that?" he asked harshly. Then a little more softly he asked, "What can you tell me about it? I've never seen anything like this before."

With a shrug, Inuyasha shut the heavy safe door. "I'm surprised Souta never spoke to you about this, but then I don't suppose he thought the curse would come back around."

"Curse? What curse?" Miroku frowned. "You mean the curse of that Buddhist monk who was your friend?"

"You know about my history with your Aunt Kagome, right?"

Miroku nodded. "Yeah, you two met back in the Warring Era. Dad told me all about how our well linked your time in the past and our present, and he also told me of the monk, the taijiya, the kitsune youkai and the fire neko."

"Right."

"So how could I possibly receive his curse? Unless you think I'm his reincarnation or something."

"Yes, I think you are his reincarnation, but I also think it goes one further."

"How?"

"Miroku and I had been through a lot together and at the end of our ordeal, before Naraku disappeared for good, we had become the best of friends. When I wasn't off on a search for Naraku, I was at the village you spoke of. I watched my friend Miroku and his wife have children, and their children have children and so on. I was at Miroku's side when he passed away and I was there when his eldest child took over as caretaker of the shrine of the village." Inuyasha went over to a window at the right side of the desk and peered out. It had begun to snow. "This shrine has always been in your family," he said quietly. He paused then turned to look at his human companion. "My friend Miroku is not just your namesake, he is your ancestor. That also explains why you are the recipient of the curse of the wind tunnel, as it is passed down solely on the male side of the family. But since you seem to be your own descendent, I can't think of anyone who is more prepared to carry this curse."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine.

Previously, in Chapter 7:

_Inuyasha went over to a window at the right side of the desk and peered out. It had begun to snow. "This shrine has always been in your family," he said quietly. He paused then turned to look at his human companion. "My friend Miroku is not just your namesake, he is your ancestor. That also explains why you are the recipient of the curse of the wind tunnel, as it is passed down solely on the male side of the family. But since you seem to be your own descendent, I can't think of anyone who is more prepared to carry this curse."_

Chapter 8

"You're kidding right?" Miroku looked incredulously down at his bandaged hand. "Prepared? I wasn't prepared! How can you be prepared to wake up one morning and suddenly be able to use your hand as a vacuum cleaner? Do you know that I woke up to find my comforter disappearing into the palm of my hand? I was just lucky that I had the presence of mind to grab some of the fudas on my bedside table before I got sucked in too."

Concealing a smile, Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow. It was just like Miroku to keep his little enchanted pieces of paper close at hand. After all these centuries, the monk had not changed a bit. "Are you sure it was presence of mind? Perhaps your actions were pure reflex."

Miroku's mouth opened as if to say something, but he stopped and closed his lips. "I couldn't say," he admitted with some confusion. "All I know was that I just… I just did it." His gaze switched from his wrapped right hand to the hand which held the rosary. "So. How do I use this?"

"Wrap it around the cursed hand," Inuyasha said with a shrug. "I don't know. It's been so long since I've seen how you used to do it."

"Then how can I seal this… this… _thing_ in my hand?" Miroku tried not to sound as though he was about to panic, although he could feel it creep up his throat. Cautiously he lifted his hand, palm up, so he could look at it. "How did my ancestor live with this every day? Did he feel like it would drive him mad?"

"If he ever felt like that, he never showed it," said Inuyasha. He gave Miroku a sad smile and clasped him on the shoulder. "He was a very strong person, but I think that by the time Kagome and I met him, he had already come to terms that the wind tunnel might take his life in the end. _If_ he didn't kill Naraku first, that is."

"The wind tunnel," Miroku murmured, his voice distant. "_Kazaana_."

As he watched, Inuyasha saw the tension leave Miroku's face. "You _know_ how to use that rosary, Miroku. Don't think about how to do it; just do it."

With a face set in grim lines, Miroku nodded and gestured toward the study door. "Let's go outside," he said calmly, "I would hate to lose anything of Dad's to my hand."

Inuyasha followed the young monk out of the house and onto the center of the shrine where Goshinboku stood. The day was bitterly cold; no one was about.

When they came to a stop, Inuyasha noticed that Miroku had picked a spot that was pretty clear of easily movable objects. The monk then held out his right hand, which was still wrapped in the fuda.

"I'm terrified," Miroku whispered candidly.

"I know. I can smell it." Inuyasha moved behind Miroku and gripped his shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll do fine. In your past life, you did it so often that I just know it will come back to you."

With an uncertain smile, Miroku shook his head. "I'm glad at least one of us is optimistic," he said. "Well, no sense in delaying."

After securing the rosary onto his left hand, he removed the fuda from his right hand, which he held away from him, palm outwards. There was a whooshing sound and the fuda was whipped away from his fingers. Miroku gasped as he saw the paper sucked into his hand.

Panic filled him, sick and heavy. "I can't do this!" he yelled over his shoulder. The air around them was circulating around them wildly. Branches of Goshinboku and other smaller nearby trees were being whipped about into frenzy. Leaves and twigs, loosened by the violent motion, flew straight at Miroku's hand and vanished into his palm.

Inuyasha tightened his grip on Miroku. "Yes you can! You did it so often, this should be second nature to you!" he called back.

But Miroku began to shake his head and his body trembled all over. Inuyasha noticed this and leaned forward to speak in to Miroku's ear. "Think of Sango," he said gently. "You remember Sango, don't you?"

The monk's body tensed. "Sango," he whispered, too softly for a human to hear over the wind tunnel, but Inuyasha caught it. The hanyou grinned when he saw Miroku remove the rosary from his unaffected hand and deftly wrap it around his cursed one. _Kazaana_ was silenced.

"Oh god," Miroku groaned and slumped weakly to the ground. Concerned, Inuyasha knelt beside him on the ground.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked, putting his hand on the monk's head.

Miroku nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm okay. I've never had to seal a hole in my hand before. It kind of tired me out," he muttered wearily.

"I think you did very well," replied Inuyasha, hiding his relief. It seemed that the strength of the wind tunnel was quite mild, which was lucky for Miroku. Anything stronger and he probably would not have had the strength to seal his hand.

But one good thing came out of this incident. Inuyasha's suspicions were confirmed. The reappearance of the cursed wind tunnel meant only one thing: _Naraku __**had**__ returned_.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kagome sighed and stretched. A moment later she yawned. Man, she was tired. Ever since the beginning of the New Year, she had experienced weird dreams at least three times a week. Sometimes they would border on the nightmarish and it was not long before the dreams had begun to take their toll on her. She was always exhausted when she woke up the next morning, no matter how early she went to bed. Perhaps the only good thing about the dreams was that she could not seem to recall them when she woke. The only clues as to what she had dreamt about came from Sango, who always woke to the sound of her roommate's cries for help.

'_Poor Sango,'_ thought Kagome sadly and shot her best friend a surreptitious glance, _'she gets as much sleep as I do.'_ Thankfully, Sango did not appear to mind all the rude awakenings and took everything in stride. Even now she looked as wide-awake as Kagome felt sleepy. Damn, when was this class over? It was the last one of the day and as soon as it was over, she and Sango would go back to their room and she would take a nap. Sango usually headed to the gym or the library to let her sleep in peace… on her nice comfy bed…

The thought of sleep caused Kagome to squeeze her eyes shut and yawn again. When she opened her eyes, she glanced heavenward. It was yet another glorious day on Oahu.

She frowned up at that expansive and clear blue sky. All these glorious days were irritating more than usual and honestly, they were not so glorious to her. She sorely wished she could be someplace else where the weather wasn't always the same all year round; a place where people actually experienced real seasons. Ooh, a cold and rainy day. That sounded so lovely. It was the direct opposite of the day she was experiencing today, which was warm and sunny. All this warmth and sun was great, but she was tired of it. She wanted to be where it was cold outside, but be bundled up all warm and snug inside, and dressed up in something soft and fleecy while sipping hot chocolate.

But _noooo_. She was in place which never saw the kind of weather that required a person to be warm and snug. If you wanted to be warm here, all you had to do would be to go outside and sit for a bit. If you wanted snug, you put on a tiny bikini and a pair of short shorts.

With a snort of disgust, Kagome flipped the page of her history book with a little more force than necessary, for she very nearly ripped it out. Seated on the grass beside her, Sango glanced curiously over at her friend.

"What's wrong?" Sango whispered with a quick glance across the grassy courtyard. Since the weather was extra lovely that day, their history teacher decided to have class outside at an old, mossy amphitheater on Pualani's grounds. To add to the insane frivolity, a history class from Okalani came to join them… apparently so they could all learn history together. But Sango knew—_as did most of the students from both academies_— that the teachers from these two classes had the hots for the other. As Okalani was within walking distance of Pualani, it was not unusual for one class to join another just for a change of pace or to encourage camaraderie among the students. Right at that moment, she met the eyes of one of the Okalani boys and cringed. The blond young man smiled and winked at her. Sango returned the look with a curl of her upper lip and an unfriendly glare of her own. He flushed and quickly averted his gaze.

But Kagome was not thinking along the same lines as Sango. When Sango nudged her in the arm, she shook her head and exhaled irritably, puffing her cheeks out as she did so. "I can't wait to get off this damned island, that's all," she muttered. "Remind me how much longer do we have to suffer in this place?"

"A little more than a year," Sango said and patted her friend consolingly on the arm. "This school year is over mostly half over anyway. We just need to be patient a little while more, Kagome. I want to get out of here too."

Kagome gave a little sob of annoyance and turned another page of her history book. Normally she enjoyed her classes, but she preferred to have them indoors if they were not some kind of sport. Right now her teacher was talking again but Kagome paid the woman no mind. She did not care about her or the male teacher from Okalani who liked her back, so Kagome decided to let her gaze wander. All the students were seated in a semicircle—boys on the right side and girls on the left. Kagome and Sango were seated on the farthest left, on their usual spot on the top tier, so they directly faced some of the boys; one of whom just so happened to be the lovely Jacob Cyrano. His thick, dark hair gleamed under the Hawaiian sun. Almost as if he knew she was watching he tossed his head, a sexy movement which sent the silky strands flying away from his face. He then turned to his friend Richard and chuckled at something the blond boy had whispered to him. The next minute, he yawned mightily and rubbed his lovely dark eyes.

Unable to help herself she stared longingly at him, all the while feeling waves of regret wash over her. He was as handsome as always, she thought forlornly. Damn her nosy guardian! Why did he have to check up on her that day? She'd be Jacob's girlfriend now and have an untarnished memory of her first kiss.

Saddened, she shook her head and briefly looked down at the book open on her lap. The male teacher was talking now and Kagome noticed that his voice seemed to drone on and on. She yawned discreetly behind her hand this time and when she glanced up again, her gaze was drawn instantly to the tall figure sitting behind Jacob. Seeing Draco, Kagome unconsciously sat up a little, her body flushing with heat. But before she smiled at him, Kagome frowned. When had _he_ moved behind Jacob? He hadn't been there a moment ago.

Her gaze slid up to Draco's face just as her lips curved up into a smile…

The smile vanished in the space of a breath as she took in Draco's facial expression. Kagome had _never_ seen a look like that on anyone's face and it frightened her. He was glaring at the back of Jacob's head with awful, burning eyes the color of blood; his lips were pulled back in a fearsome snarl that exposed long, sharp fangs. She gasped in horror and those terrible scarlet eyes shifted from Jacob to her.

"Sango!" Kagome whispered hoarsely at her friend and grabbed at her arm. At that movement, Draco's face seemed to grow angrier, if that were possible.

"Hmm?" Sango's voice was a little drowsy from the warmth of the day and from sheer boredom at the visiting teacher's lecture. The sensation of being grabbed by Kagome woke her up fully. "What's up?" But Kagome did not seem to be able to answer, so Sango turned her head in the direction Kagome was staring at with wide-eyed horror.

Almost instantly, Sango snatched her arm away from her friend's panicked grip. "What happened?"

"I… I don't know," whispered Kagome. "One minute I was looking at Jacob, the next I see Draco sitting right behind him and giving him a really nasty look. But for some reason he turned that nasty look on me as though I did something wrong."

"Son of a bitch." Sango inhaled sharply. "Don't move… and don't break eye contact with him! Jesus Christ, woman, why the _hell_ did you have to rile him up like that?"

"What do you mean, why? I didn't _do_ anything!" moaned Kagome. Confused, she very nearly turned to look at her friend when Sango grabbed her by the chin and forced her to face forward.

"Don't break eye contact, I said!" Sango was sweating now and she turned her head slightly to glance at the very large, _very angry_ youkai across from them.

"But… but I don't understand," Kagome whimpered. Her chin trembled as she fought the urge to burst into tears. "What did I do?"

Sango stared hard at Draco, whose gaze finally dropped down a little. She frowned. What was he looking at now?

On the front row, unaware of a pair the blazing blood-red eyes that glared furiously at the back of his head, sat Jacob Cyrano. He appeared to be fighting off sleep, for his head kept dropping down only to jerk upwards.

"Oh, wonderful," she murmured just loud enough for Kagome to hear.

"Wonderful? What's wonderful?" Kagome could hear the sarcasm in Sango's voice and it worried her.

"It seems that Draco _really_ does not like Jacob." Sango continued to eye the red-eyed youkai warily and she nearly jumped when Kagome began to squirm uncomfortably. At the movement, Draco's head snapped up, his eyes wide and his upper lip curled back in a movement which exposed more of his fangs than she felt comfortable with. "Congratulations, Kagome. You now have a youkai of your very own. Or rather, he has you. I do believe that Draco's youkai considers you its future mate."

"M-mate?" Kagome's voice was a hoarse whisper. "What do you mean— mate? What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain later, but right now, just concentrate on Draco and do nothing to piss him off even more than he already is."

Kagome chuckled mirthlessly. "How the hell am I supposed to do that? You're not going to leave me, are you?"

Both girls stared intently at Draco, who stared intently back at them. By now Kagome had quit squirming— _thanks to a pinch from Sango on her arm_— and they sat motionless on their increasingly uncomfortable stone seat while the warm Hawaiian sun beat softly down on them.

"No, I'm not going to leave you. I wouldn't dare," muttered Sango softly. "Right now, I'm in as much danger as you… but not nearly as much as Jacob, I hate to say. One false move and that guy is toast. That's why you can't break eye contact with Draco. If you so much as even _glance_ at another man, that will set him off and since he has decided that you belong to him— according to youkai mating customs— he has every right to defend what is his. Unfortunately for Jacob, that includes killing his rival."

"But there isn't anyone else in my life, not even Jacob. Draco knows that."

"Doesn't matter," replied Sango with a tiny shake of her head. "This is not Draco who we are dealing with right now. Look, Jacob is a male that has been linked to you. That makes his position quite precarious, both literally and figuratively." She glanced quickly at Jacob, who was still oblivious to Draco's threatening presence behind him. "Smile."

"Say what?"

Sango's face had screwed up into a thoughtful frown. "Smile at Draco."

"And that will accomplish what, exactly?"

"It will put him at ease," Sango said quietly. "The best way to appease a youkai's jealousy is to let them know that you do not fear them, because fear to a youkai only arouses their suspicion. They can tell if you're faking it, so make sure you're being genuine. Go on, smile."

"That's easier said than done, Sango," Kagome hissed. "At the moment, I'm too terrified to move."

"Then just remember how he is when he's his normal self. Remember at Christmas when he brought us to his brothers' house? He had fun setting that up for you, you know."

"Did he?" Kagome felt her tension drain from her body when she recalled all the fun she'd had that day, playing in the snow and seeing the colorful lights on the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. She remembered when he took her back to school and they had sat together on the top of the garden wall for a long time as he held her close with his nose pressed against her neck…

Her lips curved into a smile at the memory of his warm, gentle touch. He was surprisingly gentle for someone with such large, powerful hands; hands, moreover, that also had claws. Her smile grew even wider as she felt her face flush with warmth when she recalled how he made her feel.

Seeing Kagome smiling at him, the change in Draco was immediate. Once his youkai self withdrew, the look on Draco's face was one of shock, then of embarrassment at his behavior. His fangs instantly retreated as did the red in his eyes, although his face did turn a bright red which contrasted sharply with the silvery white of his hair. Now utterly self-conscious, he quickly glanced down at the book in his lap and appeared to be engrossed in reading.

The moment of crisis was over. Kagome and Sango sagged against each other in relief. The next thing they knew all of their classmates were getting to their feet. Class was over at last.

As the two girls gathered their things, Kagome noticed that Draco had already gone and for some reason, she felt a little hurt at his abrupt departure. He hadn't even come over to say hi. In a way she was glad that he left, since she did not know how to feel about what Sango said about his youkai wanting her. What she _did_ know was that she liked him. Sure, he spoke his mind with an abruptness that at times made her uncomfortable and he could be overpowering without meaning to. All that seemed to do was make her want to get to know him better. At that moment, Sango glanced up and saw Kagome's thoughtful expression.

"I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better," Sango said quietly and patted Kagome on the arm.

Kagome chuckled. "Oh, I'm not upset or anything. I was only thinking that I'd like to get to know Draco better. After all, if his youkai has a thing for me, then I'd be more comfortable if I were more acquainted with him… with _them_, rather."

Sango nodded and they got to their feet. "I think you should know… well, just because his youkai desires you, it doesn't necessarily mean that _he_ does. Youkai are odd creatures, Kagome. I mean, if someone with a split personality and a possessive streak a mile wide is what floats your boat… then I'd say a youkai is perfect for you. But here's the problem. As powerful as Draco is, he is at the mercy of his inner self. That goes for any youkai like him, but especially for a youkai as young as he is. The younger a youkai is, the more hot-blooded they are." She paused for a moment to glance about them. Their fellow students were dispersing slowly. Since occasions where their classes were co-ed did not happen often, the girls lingered as long as they could while they chatted and flirted with the boys.

"He's not here, good. I was hoping that he was gone." Sango looked about them again.

Clutching her history book and notebook to her chest, Kagome turned her gaze to Sango. "What's up?"

After another perfunctory glance about them Sango turned and faced her friend squarely. "Do you like him? And by him, I mean Draco."

A moment of silence passed before Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "I… I don't know. I guess so. He's a nice guy and all."

Sango frowned. "That's not what I meant and you know that. Do you have a thing for him is what I was asking."

She did not have to wait long before Sango got her confirmation. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Kagome's face began to flush hotly. "I'm guessing you do," Sango muttered.

But Kagome shook her head. "I don't really know. I mean, he's really hot and he's been really nice to me but he kind of scares me. Besides, if Yuki-sama found out, he'd just find a way to get rid of Draco just like he did with Jacob."

They began to walk back to school. "Perhaps that would be for the best," muttered Sango in a low voice. She shook her head. "Youkai." Her tone was bitter.

Her words were not missed by Kagome. "Why do you say that?" she asked, genuinely curious. "What's wrong with youkai?"

Sango did not reply until they reached their room and they had set down their books. She seemed to fight for the right words to say for a long moment before she spoke. "Youkai and humans… they are not a good combination, Kagome. It's not that I'm prejudiced against youkai, but I do believe that they are dangerous. Especially for humans. We shouldn't get sexually or romantically involved with them, but that's just my opinion." She dropped wearily onto her bed; Kagome did likewise.

"Have they… uh… mated with humans before?" Kagome asked quietly.

Staring down at the floor between them, Sango nodded. "Yes, it happens all the time. You wouldn't believe how many half-demons there are out there." She glanced up at Kagome, who was staring wide-eyed back at her and she nearly began to cry. Kagome was so innocent, so unworldly… and she blamed Yuki-sama's over-protectiveness for that entirely. "I know you like Draco. I wouldn't blame him if he liked you back. But promise me you won't jump into a relationship with him if he asks you to. Their world, their ways, the set of rules they live by… it's all completely different from ours. Many humans who have allowed youkai to mate with them have ended up dead because they did not follow the rules. I've heard of women who were slaughtered by their youkai mates simply for hugging a male friend. The scent of another man on them drove their youkai mate insane with jealousy."

Kagome gasped in horror. "Oh my god. While I was staring at Jacob during class today, I thought about how good-looking he was. Could that be why Draco looked like that?"

Again, Sango nodded. "Yes. In Draco's youkai mind, you are his and you were looking at another male with adoration. That was unacceptable. To him, that is."

"But why didn't he glare at me instead? Why take it out on Jacob?"

"Well, he has not marked you and therefore you are not his mate. As I said, they have rules. If he had marked and mated you, he would have the right to punish you as well as Jacob. But since you are not truly his, he would only be allowed to remove the obstacle that keeps him from you."

"That obstacle being Jacob."

"Yes."

"I see." Kagome seemed a little shocked at this but she regained her composure. "What did you mean by marked? Mated is a little self-explanatory, but marked? I don't understand that term."

"It's just what it means. When a youkai has chosen a mate, the youkai will bite whomever they have chosen. It tells other youkai that that person belongs to someone and to stay away." Sango made a face of disgust. "Sort of like when a cat sprays on a tree. It's a way to let other cats know that the tree is in their territory."

Kagome stared off into the distance. "What are you thinking about?" Sango asked.

"So… the youkai bites their chosen mate," she murmured absently. Her hand came up to rub the area where her throat and shoulder met, the memory of the night in the garden when she felt the tips of Draco's fangs on her skin flooding her brain.

Seeing Kagome— who knew next to nothing of youkai mating customs— touch the very spot favored by such creatures, sent a chill throughout Sango's body. Striding over to her friend, Sango grabbed Kagome's wrist and pulled her hand away from her shoulder. "What did he do to you?" Sango demanded angrily.

"N-nothing!" Kagome gasped. She stared up at Sango, wide-eyed and anxious. Then she broke down and told Sango the story of how she had let him smell her, in gratitude for bringing her to Japan to experience her first real winter in a very long time. "But he didn't bite me," she admitted finally. "I think he may have wanted to but I pushed him away before he could make up his mind."

"Good," Sango sighed and sat down beside Kagome. "That was a smart thing to do."

"I'm… I'm sorry, Sango."

Again Sango sighed and she shook her head. "There's no need to apologize. I'm just scared for you, that's all. He should know better than to put his fangs on you."

"Why is that?"

"I told you they live by rules. Until they reach a certain age, or unless their parents need to make an alliance with another clan, youkai are not allowed to take a mate. It's been that way for a long time now, and it serves to keep their young ones from taking a mate that is unsuitable. Just like with humans, young youkai can act unwisely when riled up."

"Okay." Kagome tilted her head and regarded her friend with some curiosity. "How do you know all these things? You seem to know a lot about youkai ways."

Sango reached out and affectionately ruffled Kagome's hair. "Yeah, I do. But right now you seem pretty beat. Why don't you lie down for awhile? I need to go workout at the gym. We can talk about youkai another time."

With a nod and a smile, Kagome obediently laid down on her bed. Even before Sango had finished changing into her gym clothes, Kagome was already asleep.

ooooo

That night— at Sango's insistence— Kagome went to bed early. Kagome protested at first, saying that she had had a good nap earlier and was not sleepy. But moments after Sango pulled the covers up to Kagome's chin, she drifted off to sleep.

Now it was nearly midnight and Sango stood at the window of the room they shared. It was open and she was enjoying the night breeze and the waxing crescent moon above. She sighed and ran her left hand down the left side of her abdomen where there was a small, cleverly hidden pocket. The letter was still there, good. Ever since her father had sent it to her that afternoon, Sango had felt a thrill of excitement run through her whenever she touched it. She knew—she just knew—that this would mean a break in the monotony of her life. Hopefully, this letter would mean that she could live out her life as she should— as she was born to do.

An anticipated flash of movement in the darkness far below caught her attention and she quickly but quietly shut the window to which she stuck a strip of paper. The next moment Sango found herself staring into the pale face of Draco, whose eyes reflected the light of the moon behind him. Sango marveled at his agility but quickly dismissed her feeling of awe. For him to climb up to their window—which was several stories off the ground—would not tax his physical strength in the least. She just hoped that his claws did not too badly mar the side of the building. She'd hate to have to explain _that_ to the headmistress.

"Let me in," he said just loud enough for Sango to hear. "I need to speak to Kagome."

At this Sango shook her head and jerked her thumb upwards. "Meet me on the roof," she whispered, knowing full well he could hear her clearly through the window pane.

This did not seem to sit well with the wall-climbing youkai, for his face slid into a scowl. "Let me in, goddamn it or I'll tear the fucking wall down." He spoke calmly but his fangs made an appearance. "I'm not playing."

But Sango shook her head again and repeated her request. This angered Draco further and he cocked his fist back. She did not flinch when the power of the fuda she had placed on the window repelled the force of his blow. Indeed, he was nearly knocked off the side of the building and ended up clinging onto the stone face as he regained his footing.

"The roof, you idiot," she hissed.

He snarled at her but nodded and leapt upwards. Sango sighed and after making sure Kagome was still asleep, she left the room. Just before she left, Sango placed fudas on all the walls and on their bedroom door. Satisfied that her best friend was fully protected and after patting her left side, Sango hurried off to meet Draco.

As she suspected, Draco was fuming. He paced about the rooftop, fully agitated.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded the moment she stepped out into the night air. "What are you, her mother? All I want to do is talk to her, for fuck's sake." He ceased pacing when he caught sight of her and a derisive chuckle escaped his lips. "What the hell are you wearing? Do you think you're some kind of ninja?" His eyes took in her dark, form-fitting outfit. "Halloween was months ago."

This assessment of her appearance almost made Sango want to punch him on the nose. "I am _not_ a ninja," she assured him stiffly. "But that is not why I wanted to speak to you."

"So why _did_ you? Why won't you let me see her?" he asked suspiciously. "I thought you trusted me."

"Not anymore," Sango replied cautiously. "Especially not after what happened this afternoon."

He went immediately on the defensive. "That wasn't my fault! Look, I tried to rein my youkai in but he didn't like the way she was looking at that idiot."

"By _'that idiot'_, I'm guessing you mean Jacob." As soon as she uttered Jacob's name, Sango gauged Draco's reaction. The youkai's body stiffened and she could just hear a faint growl.

"Yes, I mean _him_. I caught a scent of arousal from her and… and the next thing I know I'm being shoved to the side and my youkai has taken over. As I said, it wasn't my fault." His voice was almost petulant.

"Do you have feelings for Kagome?" Sango asked abruptly and crossed her arms over her chest to await his response. If his reaction to Jacob's name was any indication, then he most certainly did have feelings for her.

But Draco's answer was a long time in coming. Sango supposed he had not admitted his feelings to himself yet. Eventually he shrugged. The movement looked nonchalant, but Sango was not convinced. "Yeah, I guess so. I enjoy her company. She's sweet and pretty and…" He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nostrils. "Her scent is amazing. If she hadn't pushed me away—"

"You would have sunk your fangs into her," Sango finished sourly but smiled inwardly when she saw the look of surprise on his face. "What? Did you think she wouldn't have told me what happened that night in the garden? Remember that she and I are best friends. She tells me everything," she finished triumphantly.

The youkai glared hatefully at the human in front of him. She was getting a little too overbearing for his liking. And what was up with her outfit? It looked vaguely familiar to him but he could not place where he had seen it before.

"No, I wouldn't have." His voice was far more certain than he felt. "Bitten her, that is."

"Oh really?" Her words came out harshly, letting him know that she did was not buying it.

His eyebrows snapped downwards. "Yes, really," he retorted, his voice equally as hard as hers. "My dad would kill me if I were to take a mate."

Sango nodded approvingly. "That's because you are considered far too young to make a good choice of mate. You are still a mere pup to your father."

Draco snorted. He _hated_ being called a pup… especially by a human. "What does a mere human know about the ways of my kind?" He gave her a withering up and down look. "Wait, don't tell me. Humans have put together a handbook instructing them on our ways… and _you_ have copy which you study religiously so you won't appear to be as clueless and weak as the rest of your race. Youkai for Dummies." With that, he leaned over, stuck his face in hers and laughed.

He fully expected to get slapped. But that was not the course of action she took. The next moment he found himself lying on his back with a cold steel blade digging into his neck. Draco stared up at Sango, stunned to see her staring frostily back down at him, her body pinning his to the roof.

"Laugh again. I dare you."

To his surprise, Draco found that he could not move. He strained against her, knowing full well that he could easily throw her off, but his body would not obey him. Closing his eyes he did a quick assessment to make sure his body parts were in working order. He could feel them… but he could also feel a powerful energy which pulsed rapidly against his neck. It seemed to emanate from her blade.

"What… what have you done to me?" he asked, his voice trembling with the force of his rage. He could feel his eyes begin to bleed. All he wanted to do was beat this bitch to a pulp for getting the better of him.

Sango shrugged. "What have I done to you? Why, I overpowered your pompous ass, that's all."

"Fuck you, bitch."

She grinned. "Would you like to get up?"

His fangs flashed dangerously in the moonlight. "Do you really need to ask that?" he snarled, his voice deep and menacing.

With a throaty chuckle, Sango straightened and moved away from him. Draco immediately sat up and rubbed his throat. She had not even broken the skin which had been quite skillful on her part, for that blade had been sharp. He wondered just how this slightly built female had been able to take him down, but the fuda wrapped around her hand answered his question. It hadn't been the blade from which the power flowed. It was from the fuda she'd had on her hand which held the blade that had been the source of the power.

"I came here unarmed. You come bearing a knife and a fuda. I'd call that a bit unfair, wouldn't you agree?"

She shook her head. "No. You came bearing fangs, claws and super strength. I call that leveling the playing field."

His eyes narrowed. "Whatever," he muttered sourly.

By now he had figured out why her outfit looked familiar. It was something that human demon slayers of centuries past had worn when they were hired to kill youkai. So that was it. She was descended from a clan of demon slayers. That explained why she wielded her weapon with such accuracy. But the fuda? Where had she gotten that? He made a note not to mess with her again. "Tell me something, human."

Sango slid the blade she had just held to his neck back into the hidden sheath in her sleeve. "Sure, demon. What would you like to know?"

Draco stood and walked to the edge of the roof closest to him, where he leaned over the parapet and glanced over the side. Kagome's window was a few stories below him. "I get the feeling you want me to stay away from Kagome. Am I right?"

"Not quite." Sango leaned casually against a large air conditioning unit.

"Then?"

Her eyes regarded him carefully. "You can be friends with her; that's no problem at all."

One pale eyebrow slid skeptically upwards. "Okay, thanks," he muttered.

She nodded magnanimously. "No problem. The only thing I am concerned about— and after, today rightly so— is that the two of you might end up in a romantic relationship."

For a moment, Draco was thankful that Sango was human for he felt his body temperature rise. He had an awful feeling that he was blushing horribly. "I appreciate your concern but really, is that any of your business? I mean, even if there was a chance that she would ever want to be with me, do you _think_ it would be your place to interfere with her love life?"

Sango's body—a very fit one, Draco noted—tensed slightly. "Did you think I was kidding when I told Kagome she was like a sister to me?"

"No."

"Ever since she and I met, I have always felt a little protective of her. It's because she is has been so sheltered for years and has no real knowledge of the world. Her guardian does not allow her the use of the internet and… well, you know about her not having a cell phone."

Draco nodded and Sango went on.

"She's such an innocent," Sango said and turned her head to look at the moon. It hung in the velvety black of the night sky, a smooth and radiant crescent. "I know she must grow up some time, but I would not look kindly on you if you hurt her."

The youkai turned to look at the moon as well and he smiled slightly. The crescent moon was his family crest, he thought with pride. Unthinking, he reached up to touch his forehead. His mark had not appeared yet; but then, it would not do so until he was much older. Dante and Juno had theirs already, but unlike their father's ever-present crescent moon their crests only appeared under certain circumstances. The same went for the cheek markings, for he did not have those either. Draco guessed it was because their mother was an elf and that was the reason for the delay in their markings.

When he returned his gaze on the human slayer, he found her glaring accusingly at him. "What?" he blurted out. He did not like being blamed for something he did not know he did.

"I can't stop her from being with you, if that's what you want to know. All I ask is that you refrain from marking her. The last thing I want for her is to end up a youkai's mate. She deserves to have a man who won't rip her to pieces just because he caught a whiff of a guy she accidentally brushed up against in a grocery store."

He grunted at Sango's words but he soon forget them as he remembered that night in the teacher's garden when he did not want to stop inhaling Kagome's oddly familiar scent. His youkai had taken over and he felt his fangs against her soft skin. Another second longer and he _would_ have bitten down.

"Alright _Mother_, whatever you wish," he remarked sarcastically. "But what about sex?"

His flippantly asked question brought Sango completely off the air conditioning unit. She moved forward a few steps and Draco could see her wrap a fuda around her hand and clench it. He tensed. Perhaps he should shut up now.

"So you're thinking of that already?" demanded Sango angrily. "She doesn't even know you that well!"

Draco leaned back slightly on his parapet and shrugged. "Take it easy. I don't mean we would have it right away or at all. If Kagome and I _do_ get involved, the question would probably come up. But I promise not to molest her the moment I get her alone. If you must know, I don't particularly enjoy crazy women holding knives to my throat." He rubbed his neck again in remembrance.

Sango's eyes narrowed. She said evenly, "Next time it wouldn't be a knife. The next time I would use my katana blade and it would be buried, hilt-deep, in your chest."

Hearing the sheer menace in Sango's voice, Draco flinched and jumped to his feet. "I don't think I like you very much anymore," he declared irritably. "Once I thought you were a pretty cool chick but now… I think you're a real bitch."

"If that knowledge is enough to keep your raging male hormones at bay, then fine, I'm a real bitch."

He decided to change the subject. "You do realize that humans are no longer allowed to be slayers."

She shrugged. "What's your point?"

"Just saying. If anyone in the Corp ever found out about you, you'd be in deep shit."

Sango feigned a look of terror. "Ooh, the Slayer Corp. Aren't they so big and bad!" She laughed sarcastically. "Oh please, do you really think that scares me? Let me tell you something, Draco. My ancestors were slayers centuries before your father founded the Corp."

Draco started. "H-how did you know my father founded the Corp?"

She snorted. "Like I said, my ancestors were demon slayers long before your father came on the scene. We all know about him… and his brother."

"Half-brother," Draco said automatically.

Sango waved a dismissive hand. "Brother, half-brother, whatever you want to call it. Point is, they're related. Look, I have a favor to ask of you." She reached into the hidden pocket to retrieve the letter.

"A favor?" He snorted derisively. "That's rich… especially after you just threatened to bury your katana blade hilt-deep in my chest."

With a glare at him, Sango held out the letter to Draco. "I need you to deliver this to your father. It's important."

"Yeah. Sure." Draco stared hard at the sealed envelope as though he wanted to burn holes through it.

"It _is_ important," Sango repeated, annunciating each word carefully. "Please take that to him but don't open it. It's for his eyes only."

Draco stared thoughtfully at the letter in his hand. After a moment's reflection he said, "If I do this for you, what do I get in return? I mean, after all, Dad is a busy man."

"If?" Sango stared at him incredulously. "Oh, you _will_ do it, Draco. If you don't, I will inform Kagome of just how vicious youkai can be. I will tell her _everything_ horrible about your kind." She narrowed her eyes. "The next time you see her, it will be all she can do not to run away screaming from you. Is _that_ what you want? Because believe me, I _can_ make that happen."

He stood motionless as her venomous words washed over him. Draco did not doubt for one second that Sango would not go through with her threat; he could smell the sincerity and the suppressed rage emanating from her every pore. _'Funny,'_ he thought, _'I had no idea she hated me so much.'_

Again he glanced down at the letter in his hand. It was addressed to his father in neat, yet masculine handwriting. Sango's father, perhaps?

"Alright," he conceded after a long moment. "I will get this to my father."

"Now, if you don't mind," she said brusquely.

Draco lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. "What's the urgency? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

Sango shook her head. "Please, Draco. He _needs_ to read that letter. The sooner the better."

Draco's other eyebrow rose and he laughed. "Fine, fine. I'll go now. Give me a minute." He shook his head and touched the bracelet that always encircled his left wrist. There was a flash of light and soon the glowing blue orb of the portal appeared. With a mock salute at Sango, he stepped into the blue light and vanished.

With a sigh, Sango sat down on the surface of the rooftop and got ready for a long wait.

oooo

It took Draco just under an hour to return. The moment he emerged from the portal, Sango got to her feet, an expectant look on her face.

"Well? What did he say?" she asked excitedly.

There was a strange look on Draco's face and to Sango it seemed that he was utterly mystified.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" he said and turned to glance over his shoulder at the portal.

"What?" Sango asked and peered around Draco's tall form in time to see two men step through the blue light and join them on the roof. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the taller of the two and she instantly recognized him as Lord Sesshoumaru. The shorter man she did not recognize, although she _did_ think that the ears on the top of his head were really cute.

"Good evening, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said, presenting the tall man with a bow.

He and the other man followed suit, but all the while they stared hard at her. She frowned and wondered why they should look at her so, but she brushed it off and got down to business.

She directed her question at Sesshoumaru. "I trust you read my father's letter?"

He nodded his pale head once. "Yes. But I thought I had made my position quite clear. No humans were to engage in demon slaying activities. We youkai will handle this."

"Told you," Draco muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Sango to hear.

But Sango would not take Sesshoumaru's polite brush off so easily. "And my father made it quite clear what _our_ position was. Demon slaying runs in my family. You know of my famous ancestress?"

Sesshoumaru stared hard at Sango but said nothing.

It was the second man who spoke. "Sango," he said in a distant voice.

She puffed her chest up with pride. "Yes. I was named for her."

The Taiyoukai shrugged nonchalantly, an elegant gesture. "That is all well and good but that still does not change _my_ position on having human slayers. Your species is a fragile one and I, for one, will not allow your kind to lay down your lives like that. It is an unfair fight."

Sango's dark eyes flashed. Through stiff lips she said, "This is our world too, Sesshoumaru. It is only right that we be allowed to defend it and ourselves. Didn't you read my father's letter?"

"Well yes, of course, but I—"

"You don't have to agree to allow us to do anything," she snapped. "All he said is that we have your back in this matter."

"Matter?" Draco took a step forward and stared at his father. "What's she talking about?"

Sesshoumaru shot a stern look at his son before resting his golden gaze on the slender human female before him. "Draco," said the Taiyoukai after a moment, "go back to your school."

"But Dad, I want to know what's going on," Draco muttered petulantly.

Again Sesshoumaru shot his son a look. This time Draco whimpered obediently and leapt off the rooftop, leaving the three alone. Sesshoumaru waited a few minutes before returning his attention to Sango. "Okay, he's far enough away. Now will you tell me what you know?"

Sango shrugged. "Not much, except for what my father and the other slayers in my clan have heard."

"And that is?"

She stared grimly up at Sesshoumaru. "Rumor has it that Naraku has returned and that he is behind it all."

Beside his brother, Inuyasha stiffened. "Even the humans know," he hissed.

"Silence," Sesshoumaru commanded Inuyasha. To Sango he said, "Behind all of what? I do not understand."

Sango chuckled softly. "The great Sesshoumaru, pretending to be clueless; it doesn't suit you at all." She sighed when it became clear that he would not give up the pretence. "The disappearing youkai, of course! Did you think that _only_ the Corp is in South America, fighting the good fight? We have plenty of our clan over there, fighting alongside you, although you do not know it."

"How is it that your clan has never been detected by my youkai?" Sesshoumaru asked. He lifted his eyebrows, the look on his face declared that he was genuinely interested.

She smiled. "I thought you might ask that," she replied. From inside her snug-fitting jacket, she pulled out a handful of fudas and held them out for the two youkai to see. "My ancestress bore the children of a powerful monk. His power still runs in our veins. We can wield his magic." She replaced the fudas inside her jacket. "That is how we have escaped detection for so long. As all-powerful as a youkai might seem, they are no match against some powerful magic."

Sesshoumaru was grudgingly impressed. "Why do you only now come forward with this? If you have been fighting alongside us, as you say, why bother telling me about it? Now that I know of your existence, I may force you to cease and desist."

She shrugged. "Go ahead and try, but I guarantee you that we won't cease and desist, as _you_ say." Sango crossed her arms over her chest in an impatient gesture. "You act as though we are completely helpless and have no idea what we're getting into. But you couldn't be more wrong. Everything we know about the art of demon slaying was passed down from our revered ancestress. It is ingrained in us from the moment we learn to walk. Just because we are human does not mean we don't know what the hell we're doing."

Again, Sesshoumaru's eyebrows went up. "So I see." He was silent for a long moment. Then he asked: "Does rumor also say where Naraku is hiding?"

Sango's smile appeared. Her words scored a hit, apparently. She shrugged. "Who can say? He is not here, obviously," she said with a wave of her hands, indicating the space around them. "Although, those who have seen the youkai vanishing, say that they depart through one of those." She pointed at the portal behind her two youkai companions.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru look sharply at one another. "Oh no," Inuyasha whispered. "That means he's in the Elven world."

Sesshoumaru nodded grimly. "So it would appear," he replied cautiously.

Inuyasha nodded and there was a moment of silence on the rooftop. Suddenly, both youkai heads jerked around, as if they heard something.

"What's wrong?" asked Sango, feeling a little uneasy at the sight of them listening to something she could not hear.

The Taiyoukai frowned. "Someone is screaming. It sounds female."

His words made Sango jump, as though she had just been electrocuted. "Damn! I'll be right back! Stay!" she called out and bolted through the door that led inside the building.

"Did… Did she just tell us to stay?" Sesshoumaru asked, one eyebrow arching with interest.

But Inuyasha did not appear to be hearing his brother's words. He was still listening to the screams that only one with supernatural hearing could detect. His heart wrenched in his chest. "I know that scream," he breathed. A moment later, he took off, following Sango's scent into the building.

ooo

The dream had been really bad this time. By the time Kagome's eyes flew open her heart was racing so hard she felt sure that it would beat itself right out of her chest.

Thankfully, Sango was right there, her strong hands gripping her trembling friend's shoulders. "Sweetie! Are you okay?" She leaned over and turned on Kagome's bedside lamp.

With a sob, Kagome flew to a sitting position and clung to Sango. For a moment, it did not register in her befuddled brain that Sango was not wearing her usual nighttime apparel. She pulled back a little and stared with confusion at the all black costume but she said nothing. Perhaps Sango had snuck in the gym again. She had done that many times before when she could not sleep.

"Kagome?"

Kagome nodded. "I'm okay," she told Sango with a reassuring smile. At least, she _supposed_ it was reassuring. It did not feel reassuring at all. But she knew better than to lie to Sango because Sango seemed to always know when she wasn't being truthful. Kagome shook her head. "I'm okay, but it was really bad this time," she said quietly.

Her face wracked with concern for her friend, Sango pulled Kagome into a protective embrace. "What did he do now?" she asked gently. The back of her neck began to tingle and without turning around, Sango could sense the presence of a demonic aura lurking just outside their room and outside the window. Two eavesdroppers, eh?

"He hurt me," Kagome whispered. Her mouth was against Sango's shoulder so her words came out muffled. "He hurt me and I could do nothing to stop him."

Although Kagome did not seem to know who _he_ was, Sango was quite familiar with _him_ by now. _He_ was recurring player in Kagome's nightmares and for many nights now, Sango had been woken by Kagome's cries for help. At least, they sounded like cries for help; Sango had no idea what Kagome screamed in the dark. It sounded like gibberish to her ears.

"What did he do to you this time?" Sango asked as she rocked Kagome gently.

Kagome let out a shuddering sigh. "He… He stabbed me," was her reply.

"He stabbed you?" Sango was disturbed. Why was she having such terrible nightmares?

Kagome nodded. "Yes. Many times. I think… that he enjoyed hurting me."

Again, the back of Sango's neck tingled and the feeling of nearby skulking demon was suddenly gone. She tenderly pushed Kagome back onto her mattress. "Well, he's gone now and you're safe," she said with a small smile. "Go back to sleep, okay?" She smoothed back Kagome's hair from her pale face.

"Okay," murmured Kagome sleepily and obediently shut her eyes. After a moment, she had dropped off to sleep.

When Sango returned the roof, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were standing by the portal. Both seemed anxious to return to wherever they came from. Just as it had when she was downstairs with Kagome, the back of Sango's neck prickled and a flash of movement in her peripheral vision alerted her to the presence of another demon. Draco had returned.

"We are leaving now," Sesshoumaru said to his son. "See you soon, son."

"Sure thing," Draco replied and nodded solemnly. "Bye, Dad." But Draco was not looking at his father, Sango noticed. The young youkai was thoughtfully watching the hanyou Inuyasha. "Uncle," he said and nodded at the hanyou.

"Draco," Inuyasha said with a vague nod of his own. He was not giving his nephew nearly as much attention as Draco was giving him. Instead, he nodded at Sango and strode through the portal with Sesshoumaru at his heels.

As the light from the portal vanished, Sango turned to her youkai companion. "What's the matter with you?" she asked.

Draco shook his head, but then seemed to change his mind and looked at her. "What did he want?"

"Your dad?" Sango was confused. "I don't think I can tell you. If he wanted you to know, he would have allowed you to stay."

Again Draco shook his head. "No, no. Not my dad. Inuyasha. What did he want with Kagome?"

Sango frowned. "He didn't want anything as far as I know."

"Bullshit." Draco was scowling and Sango tensed. She could feel the energy from his inner youkai pulsate madly. "He followed you," he said accusingly. "I saw him watching you through the doorway to your room."

She snorted. "That's a funny thing for you to say… while _you_ were watching us through the window." When Draco began to growl, Sango strode over to him and slapped him across the face. "Cool it!" she snapped angrily up at his astonished face. "Nothing happened, and you would have known that, being the shameless peeping pervert that you are. He didn't want anything and he certainly never said a word to her. Now if you don't mind, it's really late and I need to get some sleep. Good night, Draco."

With that, Draco was left alone with a stinging face and a few lingering, suspicious, jealous thoughts.

ooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooo

Once they returned to the elves' world and to the home Sesshoumaru and Miranda shared, Inuyasha turned to face his brother.

"Can we go to Hiro now? We can't sit on this any longer."

"I agree." Sesshoumaru said with a nod. "And you are certain that Miroku has this… wind tunnel curse?"

Inuyasha nodded earnestly. "Yes, I saw it myself. It is the same as before. It is the same curse."

"Alright."

The two males were in Sesshoumaru's study. It served as a library too, for Sesshoumaru was an avid reader. In the large room, a plush leather sofa and two straight back chairs were positioned on the side of the room which held his bookshelves. On the other half of the room was filled a plain executive desk in burnished walnut and more bookshelves behind it. To the left of the desk was a large bay window complete with comfortably padded window seat. A little bundle of yarn and knitting sticks lay on the seat. Miranda enjoyed sitting beside her mate while he worked.

It was to this window that Sesshoumaru strode and stared out. It was not night here, at least not yet. A complete day was over twenty-four hours, as it was in the mortal realm; and day was just as long as the night.

"I do have a question, though."

"What is it?"

Sesshoumaru turned to face his brother. "I'm guessing that it was Kagome who kept Thanos… or Naraku… in check. But she died, no doubt releasing him somehow from the jewel. What I want to know is why didn't the curse immediately manifest itself the moment he was released? Miroku had been born by then."

Inuyasha shook her head. "That, I don't know. All I know for sure is that it did not affect him until January. So somehow, between Kagome's death and up until a few months ago, Naraku was out of commission." He joined his brother at the bay window where he stared out of the glass thoughtfully. "It's almost like he was waiting for something. You recall that surge of… whatever it was back around Christmas?"

"The feeling of negative energy? Yes, I do."

The hanyou shrugged. "Maybe that was Naraku waking up, or coming to or whatever."

"That is a possibility." Sesshoumaru leaned down to pick up his mate's knitting. It was a soft ball of blue and pink fluff. He could not help but smile. Normally, Miranda did not leave her knitting lying about in his office. She always took it with her. It seemed that this was a signal that his lovely mate was longing for another baby. Setting the soft yarn down on the seat, he returned his attention to the conversation. "So why did he choose to wake up now? Why couldn't he have come back years ago? What is so special about now?"

Inuyasha shrugged again. "I don't know. But you're right about one thing. Why didn't he return years ago? Seeing as how he and Kagome share a deep connection, I would have expected that he made his presence known the moment she was reborn into this world. But she's a teenager now. Why wait so long?"

Sesshoumaru turned to face his brother. "Are you absolutely positive that the girl we heard screaming was Kagome? Your Kagome?"

"She isn't mine anymore," muttered the hanyou. He tried hard to keep the sadness from his voice. "Her life is starting over and I do not exist to her."

The Taiyoukai touched Inuyasha lightly on the shoulder. "Sorry," he said consolingly. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Inuyasha shook his head and looked down at his feet. "It's alright, Sess. I don't know why I am still so sensitive about this. _My_ Kagome has been dead for years… but yes, I am absolutely positive that the girl we heard was Kagome. I did not get close enough for her to see me, because I hid out in the hallway. But her voice… and her scent… it was the same as before. It felt like her." After a moment he said with finality: "It _was_ her."

This seemed to satisfy Sesshoumaru. He nodded. "Alright then, let's go to see Hiro. We need to update him on the situation."

With a curt nod, Inuyasha straightened his spine and the two males left the room.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Sorry for the horrendous delay! Life likes to get in the way… and so does writer's block!

Enjoy!

rsb


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine.

A/N: Again, I apologize for taking so damn long to post a new chapter. I beg your forgivenes! Please, enjoy the show! rsb

Chapter 9

"_Hermes! Hermes! Wait for me!"_

_Hermes, on his way to the mouth of the Underworld on an errand for his father, stopped when he heard the little voice calling to him. Unable to keep the smile from his face, he turned to see a dark, slender girl run frantically towards him. _

_Athena's daughter was such a pretty little thing, he thought as his gaze rested on her. But with her curling black hair and dark eyes, she closely resembled her war-loving father, Ares. _

_With one hand, he deftly removed his heavy winged helmet from his head. As he always did when she ran to him, he dropped down to one knee and, after setting his helmet on the ground beside him, opened his arms. With a pleased giggle, Niobe ran into his ready embrace. Her small arms wrapped securely around his neck as his own powerful limbs closed around her tiny body._

"_Have you come to say goodbye to me?" he asked as he pressed a tender kiss against one of her silky smooth cheeks. She smelled of apples and honey… and gardenias. Hermes quickly smothered a chuckle. His step-mother Hera would not be pleased that Niobe had been playing in her garden again and no doubt harassing the peacocks that strutted haughtily within._

_She nodded and moved back to look at him. "Grandfather said you were going back there, to that dark place." The joy that had been in her eyes when she had looked at him a moment ago, died. Her sweet face grew solemn as she stared at him with her dark, somber eyes. "I don't like that place, Hermes. You will be careful, won't you?"_

_Touched by her concern, Hermes kissed her on the forehead. "I always am," he assured her. "I promise to be careful."_

_She nodded reluctantly and leaned forward to bury her face against his neck. Again, Hermes could not keep the smile from his face. He had grown much attached to this sweet little girl since the day of her birth, but he never imagined she would return his affection with such fierceness. He felt he had not done much to deserve it, although he __**had**__ spent quite a bit of time with her while her own miserable excuse for a father was away waging wars between the mortals. That he had sired a son who had turned out as unpleasant and loathsome as himself was not surprising in the least, but a daughter who was his complete opposite? It was so strange, knowing that Ares had a sired a daughter as sweet and gentle as Niobe. Wonders would never cease._

_At last he released her and she stepped back. To his consternation, he saw her large dark eyes were brimming with tears. "Why, my nymph, what's wrong?" he asked as his hand caressed her face._

"_Must you go? I know that it's dangerous there, even for us," she said in a whisper. Her voice trembled slightly. _

_Now Hermes was very worried. She had never spoken like that to him. Never. Why was she suddenly upset about him leaving? He had already explained to her where he went and why. What had brought up this attack of caution on her part?_

_Movement past her dark head alerted Hermes to a presence not far behind Niobe. His eyes narrowed when he saw the lurking figure of Niobe's twin brother. A deep stab of anger could be felt in the very center of his chest. Normally, he liked children and the children of the other gods liked him greatly, as he was generally regarded as a jokester god and much fun to be around. But this kid, this little boy who glared hatefully back at him, was the one child he disliked. He would even go so far as to say that he hated Thanos._

_Almost as if Thanos picked up on his thoughts, the boy smiled nastily at him. Oh yes, Hermes thought to himself, this boy was most definitely his father's offspring. It was fairly obvious that Thanos did not care for his opinions in the slightest. Just like Ares._

_The evil look on the boy's face confirmed Hermes' suspicions. Instinct told him the reason Niobe had suddenly grown worried for his safety was because her brother had been telling her things. By the look of heartache and anxiety on her sweet little face, Hermes knew they had not been very pleasant things._

"_Little beast," Hermes muttered unkindly but too softly for her to hear him clearly. With a sigh, he looked deep into her eyes. "Now you listen to me, Niobe. Nothing will happen to me in the Underworld. I swear that to you. Do you believe me?"_

_She nodded reluctantly but he could see fear and uncertainty in her eyes._

"_Now you have to believe that I will come back, Niobe. Do you want me to come back?"_

_She nodded again, this time emphatically and he grinned._

"_Because if you didn't want me to come back, I must obey you and not return."_

_Her big brown eyes widened and she clutched at the front of his tunic. "No! You have to come back, Hermes! I don't want you to go away forever!"_

"_Then I most definitely must come back," he murmured soothingly. "I obey your every whim, my lady."_

_This time, she smiled at him unrestrainedly. "Yes, I want you to come back. If you return in time, will you tell me a story tonight?"_

"_If that is what my lady desires."_

_Niobe nodded regally. "Yes, I desire that," she said and giggled._

"_Good. Then I shall return and return in time to tuck you in and tell you a bedtime story."_

_She hugged him again and when she let him go, she picked up his helmet and handed the heavy object to him. He took it from her and placed it on his head. As he did so, he again glanced past her at her brother, whose scowl seemed to have grown darker. Indeed, his dark eyes looked like big black dots in his face._

_While Niobe was busy handing Hermes his helmet, the look on Thanos' face was one of pure hatred. When he came back, Hermes vowed to have a talk with Niobe's furious twin. He knew that Thanos became jealous whenever Niobe's attention and adoration was turned from him. Thanos had never been able to stand being last in his twin's life._

"_I'll be back as soon as I can," Hermes promised. Leaning forward, he kissed Niobe's forehead. Dropping his voice to a whisper so only she could hear, he told her: "Do me a favor, my nymph. Do not listen to your brother. All he wants to do is scare you, and that is not right." He tugged gently on a lock of Niobe's long black hair and rose to his feet._

_As he walked away, he could feel the intensity of Thanos' gaze burning into his back. He took the air and as he did so, he looked back. Thanos was at his sister's side, his small hand holding hers. To Hermes, it was a gesture that spoke volumes and it angered him. The insolent boy was staking a claim on her._

'_Just wait until I get back, demon child. You shall not have her,' Hermes vowed silently. Firmly he ignored the voice in the back of his head that reproached him for playing this game with Thanos. Sure it was childish, but he hated knowing that that black-haired monster held such influence over his innocent sister. All he wanted was for Niobe to be happy. But somewhere in the darkness of his heart, Hermes wanted more than anything for Thanos to leave her alone… even if it meant sending the little brat to Hades. Maybe, just maybe, he would do that one of these days…_

ooooo

Inuyasha woke with a start. He sat up and stared blindly into the dark of his bedroom.

He leaned over and groped for the lamp on his bedside table. The lamp came on and he blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the light. Heaving a sigh, he sat up and leaned back to prop himself up against the headboard of his bed.

What a weird dream he'd just had. He thought a moment as he slowly rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands. Not a dream, he decided at last. It was a memory.

His eyes closed for a moment. Niobe's worried little face swam to the surface of his mind and he could feel his hatred of Thanos rise to the fore. It was odd, how a mere child could evoke such a strong emotion as hate against him. But then again, it was also odd that so young a child could be emit so much evil and loathing. Thanos had not been a normal child.

With a shake of his head, Inuyasha flung the covers back and got out of his bed. After a quick stretch, he walked to the bathroom. Once his business was taken care of, he washed his hands and splashed some water on his face. As he dried his face with a towel pulled from a nearby towel rack, he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He was dismayed by what he saw there. His youthful face looked strained and haggard; his eyes were sad and exhausted, as evidenced by the dark circles under them. It didn't help that he had an atrocious case of bed-head either. Normally, he didn't care what he looked like, but it was different now. Now that he knew Kagome was reincarnated and living in Hawaii at that girls' school, he began to take notice of his appearance.

It had been a week since that meeting with Sango on the rooftop of the Pualani Academy for Girls dorm building. That night was the night he finally got to see Kagome again, even though it was for the briefest of moments. It had been all he could to do not to barge into the room she and Sango shared. All he wanted was to let her see him, to let her know that he was okay and that he missed her and had never found another woman to take her place. He wanted to tell her that he had remained faithful to her since the day they wed. Inuyasha glanced down at his hand. The gold wedding band she had slid on his finger the day of their wedding was still there. He had never even taken it off, not even for a minute. His hands came together and with the fingers of his unadorned hand he twirled the wedding ring slowly around his finger.

He had not barged in, and not because Sango had apparently found it necessary to ward their room with magic to keep youkai out. Meeting Kagome again was all he ever thought about since Yuri told him who Souta's infant daughter was. It was caution that had held him back, kept him from telling her who he was. She would have been terrified if this wild-eyed man simply barged into her bedroom and professed his eternal love and devotion.

He left the bathroom, turning the light off as he went out, and headed back to bed.

For a long time, Inuyasha lay on his back in the darkness of his lonely bedroom. And for the first time in a long time, he wept. He had always felt that losing Kagome was the worst thing to have ever happened to him. But this—knowing she was alive and well but had no idea who he was—this was agonizing. He supposed he should be thankful she had returned at all, and he was thankful… but still. The knowledge that he could walk right up to her on the street and she would only give him the blank stare of a stranger was too painful to contemplate.

Damn it. Would this gnawing ache in his soul ever go away?

oooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooo

By the end of April, Kagome and Sango were beginning to enjoy life again. The nightmares no longer plagued Kagome's sleep so both girls were at last able to slumber in peace all night long.

Even Draco ceased his nighttime visits, which somewhat eased Sango's mind. It was disconcerting to wake in the dead of night to see a large shadow peering into their bedroom. She supposed he had finally gotten the message. But it was hard to tell with him some times. She also supposed it was a good thing he lived on another campus. Well, good and bad. On one hand, he was kept away from Kagome during the day. On the other hand, the distance that separated them was nothing to a youkai.

Thankfully, she had the presence of mind to keep the fudas on every wall of their bedroom. That had served to keep him out, but it had also made him frustrated and angry. Despite being able to enjoy those restful nights free from Kagome's screams of terror, Sango was kept on edge during the day when they were out of their shared room.

Once, Kagome had asked her the reason for her tenseness, Sango broke down and told Kagome about the midnight visits by her youkai suitor. This seemed to alarm Kagome but it turned out that she was more concerned for Sango's safety than her own.

"Do you want me to speak to him?" Kagome asked after Sango assured her that there was no need for her to worry. "I can ask him to stop."

Firmly, Sango shook her head. "At the moment there's no need. I don't think he'll be attempting to bother you just at present. "I think he finally got the message… for the time being, at least."

The look on Kagome's face prompted Sango to explain, which the latter did reluctantly.

"Youkai… Well, the thing is, youkai can be incredibly tenacious, especially young ones like Draco. They don't have the necessary self-control to keep their inner selves at bay, which is why I don't think you should ever be left alone with him. It's obvious his youkai desires you, even if he doesn't quite feel the same way. No offence."

"None taken," was Kagome's reply. For a moment, she looked disappointed and Sango felt a stab of regret. She wanted her friend to find a nice boy to have a nice, healthy relationship with, but Draco was just not an ideal boyfriend. He would not want just a light flirtation, a few kisses or a grope in the dark. Draco was youkai and that alone made him dangerous. When a youkai wanted, they wanted with a fierceness that her timid little friend could not match.

"You don't want a youkai," Sango said and reached out to stroke Kagome's head. "He will only hurt you. It could be physically or mentally, but he will _hurt_ you. It would only be a matter of time."

For a long moment, Kagome appeared to ponder this. At last she said: "Don't worry, Sango. II don't think I'm in danger of him doing that. He's not really my type anyway. I prefer men with dark hair." She gave Sango a cheerful smile.

But Sango had known instantly that Kagome was not being completely honest. True, she found boys like Jacob—who was dark-haired and dark-eyed—attractive, but Draco's appearance into her life had shaken her. Despite their first, rather abrupt, meeting in the mall last December, Kagome had grown to like him, even allowing him close enough to let him know her scent. That fact alone worried Sango plenty. One of the worst things a human could do would be to willingly allow a demon to know their scent. Should the creature take a liking to it, the human might never know a moment's peace. The demon slayer in her knew, absolutely, that Draco's youkai had taken a great liking to Kagome's scent.

It still worried Sango a couple of weeks later as she and Kagome were up in their room working on their schoolwork. On this day, it was raining; it _had_ been raining steadily since early that morning and showed no sign of stopping. Days like these annoyed Sango. She hated the feeling of being cooped up like this, but she consoled herself with the knowledge that the rain would not last forever. She just wished it would hurry the hell up and stop already.

With a sigh, she leaned back so her head rested on the wall. She sat at the head of her bed, her notebook rested on her thighs; her legs were crossed tailor-style. Her history book lay open in front of her.

She shut her eyes. One more month, she told herself. Only one more month to go before school was out for the year.

Sango smiled. Hoo-fucking-ray for summer vacation.

At long last, her parents wanted her to spend her summer vacation with them. They lived in Tokyo now; her father had moved his dojo there and many of their clansmen had joined him. As they were all demon slayers, they had to train constantly to stay fit. Her father wanted her to come home, not just to see her because he and her mother missed her, but he wanted to see how well she had kept up her training.

Her mind went back to the night she had taken Draco down and her smile widened. Of course she really should not tell her father about that. Attacking the son of Sesshoumaru would not exactly score public relation points if that was ever found out. Draco would, she knew, never let that incident be known, so she would not either. But still, she was proud of that.

A loud crack of thunder jolted Sango out of her thoughts and her eyes flew open. She glanced sharply over at Kagome to gauge her reaction. But Kagome was lying on her stomach on her bed and reading her own history book, jotting down notes every so often in her own notebook. Apparently, the loudness of the thunder had not rattled her as it had Sango.

Light flashed outside and there was another clap of thunder. Sango jumped but Kagome merely sighed happily and shifted a little on her bed. She was completely unruffled.

That was one thing about Kagome that annoyed Sango. Thunder always made her jumpy, especially thunder that was loud enough to rattle the windows in their panes. During the entire time she had known Kagome, not once had Kagome ever shown the slightest bit of perturbation during a thunderstorm. It was rather shameful, that she, the demon slayer, should be so nervous during a storm.

"How do you do that?" Sango blurted out at last.

"Hmm?" Kagome turned to look at Sango. She blinked.

"I asked you how you do that," said Sango.

"Do what?" Kagome appeared to be puzzled.

"You know. How is it that you don't jump whenever there's a clap of thunder?"

"Oh." Kagome blinked again and shrugged. "I don't know. I've always been like that. It's almost as if I'm attuned to the storm when it hits." She chuckled. "Sounds crazy, I know. Don't know how else to explain it."

"That's weird," commented Sango.

"Yeah, I guess it is. But then again, I _really_ love days like this. They make me happy." She smiled cheerfully at Sango.

Thunder clapped again and this time the lights flickered. Kagome sighed her happy little sigh again and went back to her history book. Sango, felt a little less thrilled at the closeness of the thunder, sent a nervous gaze up to the ceiling. The lights were still on—for now.

Sango returned her attention to the history book and spiral notebook lying beside her on her bed. She really didn't want to finish up the chapter now even though all she had left were to do the chapter review questions. When the thunder roared again, she knew she was too wound up to finish her work. But after all, their History class _was_ the last period of the day. There was plenty of time to complete the review questions before then.

"Hey, have you finished picking your classes for next year?" Sango had gathered her book, notebook and pen and tossed them on the floor beside her bed. Then she lay down on her side facing Kagome and propped herself up on her left elbow. "I know you were wondering what electives to take."

"Hold on a sec." Kagome, who was putting the finishing touches on her paper, set down her pen with a satisfied sigh. "There, done." She sat up and gathered up her homework and placed it neatly on the floor beside her bed. "Okay, what were you saying?"

Sango repeated herself and Kagome nodded. "Yeah, after my regular classes, I only need two electives to fill out my schedule. Let's see, since I've already had my requisite two years of foreign language, so instead of taking a third year of Spanish I decided to take French for giggles. As for my second elective…" She stared off into space with a puzzled look on her face. "I chose archery."

"Archery?" Sango's eyebrows went up as she stared with some surprise at her friend and roommate. "French I can understand, but what on earth made you choose to take archery? That's just so… well, so unlike you. I hate to say it, but you are not the least bit athletic."

Laughing, Kagome shook her head. "I know, and you'll make fun of me."

Sango smirked. "I may or I may not; I haven't decided yet. I'm kidding! Don't be ridiculous. Just tell me."

Kagome lifted a skeptical eyebrow. Then she shrugged. "Okay. It was a dream I had the other night. You were in my dream, too."

With a smile, Sango leaned forward a little, giving the impression of a listener who was intent on a conversation. "Ooh, do tell," she said eagerly.

"Okay," said Kagome, her eyes brightening in excitement, "we were part of this group of people who went around and helped others, right? You and I were in it, of course, and two guys and two animals."

"Two guys? One for each of us, huh?" Sango laughed. "Were the guys hot? Please tell me they were hot!"

"Oh, yeah!" Kagome grinned. "You were in love with one and I was in love with the other."

Again Sango laughed. "Tell me about my guy."

"Oh, he was really good-looking. Tall, long hair pulled back in a ponytail and he wore robes."

Hearing this, Sango wrinkled her nose with some distaste. "Robes? What kind of robes? I hope you didn't have my guy running around in a bathrobe!"

Kagome shook her head. "No, he wasn't wearing a bathrobe. I think he was a monk of some kind. Buddhist, probably. He had beads wrapped around his right hand. Rosary beads, I think, but I can't be sure."

"Oh. Okay." Sango blinked then smiled. "So… tell me about your guy. What did _he_ look like?"

Kagome's eyes turned up to the ceiling and her brow furrowed, as if in thought. "Well, he was _definitely_ different. He was a little shorter than the monk, and he was dressed in this weird red outfit and had this long white hair and carried a rusty old sword. But the funny thing was he had these cute little white ears on the top of his head." She giggled. "I wanted to touch those ears so bad!"

Sango froze. A guy who had white hair whose ears were on the top of his head? Hadn't she seen someone like that recently? Yeah, she had. _But what was his name?_

Aloud she said, "You said there were animals with us."

"Oh my gosh, they were so adorable! One looked like a child but it wasn't a human child. He had red hair with a greenish-bluish bow in it and this poofy little tail. He had such tiny feet and hands and he was super sweet, but seemed to be attached to me. You had a pet cat, but when we were fighting demons, it grew really large, about the size of a tiger."

Something stirred deep in Sango's memory. Kagome's dream was very like a story she had been told when she was a child about her namesake ancestress. She too, had a pet cat although according to legend, the cat had been a fire demon cat named Kirara, who could grow large when in battle and who also could fly.

Keeping her tone neutral, Sango asked, "What about you? What did you do? I'm guessing you were an archer?"

Kagome nodded. "My weapon was bow and arrow, but the arrows were not normal arrows. Every time I shot one, it glowed with a pink light. I thought it was kind of cool," she said with a half-smile and a tilt of her head. "I felt like I should learn how to shoot with a bow and arrow. They felt right in my hands." As nervous laugh escaped her lips Kagome lifted her arms so that her fingers slid into her hair and she shook her head. "I know this sounds crazy since it was just a dream, but for a moment I felt like that learning archery was my destiny. Or at least part of my destiny."

"You never know. Perhaps it was," Sango remarked calmly. Her mind was racing. There was more to the legend of her ancestress, she just knew it. Damn it, why couldn't she remember it all?

At last, Sango's memory hit pay dirt. She was now very interested in this dream. It seemed that this dream of Kagome's was a rather important one after all.

"Do you remember what was I wearing?" Sango made an attempt at lightness. If Kagome told her what she wanted to know then Sango would need to get in touch with her father as soon as possible.

Kagome turned her attention to Sango's face with a smile. "Sure, I remember. You were wearing this weird outfit but it looked really good on you. It was black, skintight, and you wore a mask that covered the bottom half of your face. To protect you from poisons, I think. That's what you told me in the dream anyway."

"Wow, how interesting," Sango felt light-headed. She was pretty certain that Kagome had _never_ glimpsed her while she was in her gear in the light of day. There was that night where she had been on the roof with Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha when Kagome had had that nightmare, but she had been so rattled that Sango was certain her change of clothing had not registered in Kagome's eyes. But if Kagome had never full laid eyes on her slayer's outfit, then how did she what it looked like, even down to the face mask? Also, how on _earth_ did she know that her face mask was for protection against poisons? This was just too surreal. There was simply no way Kagome could have known that.

Kagome seemed oblivious to the look of consternation that had set in Sango's face. She rambled on. "But the most amazing thing was your weapon. I've never seen anything like it!"

"What did it look like?" Sango stopped breathing.

"Oh, it was huge! It was made out of demon bone and shaped like a boomerang!"

The blood drained from Sango's face. Now she knew for certain what Kagome had dreamt of had been no dream. The only people who knew of the existence of Hiraikotsu were her own clan, with the exception Lord Sesshoumaru and…

The name finally clicked on inside Sango's head. _Inuyasha_. _That_ was his name.

Dear gods above, Kagome had actually dreamed about Inuyasha, someone she had most likely never seen before. Ever since they first met, Sango had known that Kagome was special, but who was she really? Was she a reincarnation of someone who had known her ancestress, as well as that infamous hanyou, Inuyasha?

This was most definitely not a dream. What this had been was a memory but Kagome had no idea that it was a memory. Perhaps that was a good thing, for the time being.

"That is amazing," Sango managed to say in her calmest voice. "Listen, I forgot I needed to send an email to my brother. I'll be back later so don't wait up." While she had been talking, Sango had gotten to her feet and went to grab her laptop, which was tucked up under the foot of her bed. She left the room without another word.

ooooooooooo

The next evening, Sango went to the rooftop to await her father's phone call. She had not talked to either one of her parents in a long time; it had taken her a long time for her to forgive them for sending her away to Pualani. But this was important and the only person who could really give her any answers was her father. After waiting nearly twenty minutes, her phone rang.

"Dad?" She sat down on one of the parapets.

"Yes, Sango." His voice was deep and warm on the other end. "Your brother told me to call you. What is wrong, my child?"

Taking a deep breath, Sango began to tell her father of Kagome's dream. Her father made a few non-committal noises and she could almost see him nodding, a sleepy expression on his face. Sango scowled into the dark. Was she boring him?

"She dreamed of Hiraikotsu," she said calmly into the phone.

There was a tense silence on her father's end.

"I did not catch that. What did you just say?"

Heh. _That_ got his attention. She knew it would. "My friend dreamed of Hiraikotsu," Sango repeated, this time with a reverent tone to her voice.

More silence. "Impossible," said her father at last. "No, that's impossible. You must have been mistaken, Sango. No one save those in our clan knows of its existence."

"Except for Lord Sesshoumaru and his brother," added Sango with a smug smile. She reached back and pulled a lock of hair forward over her shoulder. Out of habit, she twirled it around her finger.

"Of course."

"I mean, who else would know that such a weapon existed?" Sango asked and released her hair. The wind blew gently around her. She tilted her head back to sniff the cool breeze which caressed her body. The lock of hair on her shoulder was lifted gently and settled down her back. The heavy scent of rain was on the wind, she thought with some irritation. '_We're getting more?_' she thought. '_Sheesh.'_

"Only those that we have mentioned just now," her father answered darkly. "What are you saying, Sango? That this friend of yours has somehow been able to glimpse into the past and see our ancestress?"

"Not _just_ our ancestress I think," Sango replied quietly. There _had_ been a monk in Kagome's dream. Her namesake had been involved with and bore the children of a powerful monk. Of course she had not said a word of this to Kagome, as she had wanted to keep the knowledge of what she was from her friend. "Do you know of any other companions the Lady Sango had?"

"There was also our ancestress' youkai neko and a young kitsune called Shippo. Inuyasha was there as well as another human girl, a miko." Her father sighed. "Have you been away so long that you have forgotten your past, my daughter?"

Sango's eyes slid shut. It had to be true, right? Kagome had not simply dreamed a part of the long-ago past. What her friend had described fit too closely to what was known of her demon slaying clan. Was it possible her mind had conjured up a memory of when she had lived another life so long ago? Each character in Kagome's little dream was being ticked off on the mental list inside Sango's head. Her ancestress Sango, the Buddhist monk Miroku, the pet cat Kirara, the little fox child Shippo, the hanyou Inuyasha and now there was the shrine maiden.

"What was the name of the miko?" she asked her father.

The sound of rustling paper on the other end told Sango that her father was looking through a book. So, she thought rather smugly, it seems she was not the only one who had had a lapse in memory.

"Her name was Higurashi," he said. "Yes. Higurashi Kagome."

If Sango had not been sitting already, she would have dropped to the floor. "Oh, my word," she breathed. "Oh, my word."

"What's the matter?" His voice was maddeningly calm.

"Higurashi Kagome… That is the name of my roommate, the girl who had the dream I just told you about."

"Are you sure?"

This time she was the one who snorted. "Of course I'm sure! We've been friends for the past three years." Sango looked up at the sky. Lightning flashed silently overhead but she could not leave the privacy of the rooftop just yet. "Dad?" She just had a flash of an idea. This was where her love of the demon slaying world would help her.

"Yes, my daughter?" There was a smile in his deep voice.

"Wasn't there a demon slayer, oh, about, twenty odd years ago with that same name?"

There was a brief silence. "Why, yes, I believe there was. She was a very good one; one of the best at the time, as I recall. Well, as good as any that came through the Slayer Corp." His tone indicated that he did not think very much of that organization. "So I _suppose_ she was alright. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think she could have been the one who traveled with our ancestress and Inuyasha and the monk? I mean, do you think we could find out?"

"I'm pretty sure you could, but I don't think it would be common knowledge. Do you think the two are related? They might hail from the same family."

Sango shook her head even though she knew her father could not see the movement. "I doubt she would know. Kagome has no family. She does have a guardian, though."

"I suppose I could get in touch with them. Who is this guardian?"

"Yamadera Yuki."

"Yuki? Of the elves?" Her father sounded incredulous.

"Yes." Sango was skeptical. "You know of him?"

"Well, if we are speaking of the same Yamadera Yuki, then yes, I know of him. He is the Crown Prince of the elves and elder brother of the Emperor Hiro. Do you plan on speaking with him? If so, you must tread carefully, my child. He is the second most powerful elf in the world. We would not wish to anger the elves."

With a sigh of exasperation, Sango rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad. But really, is he all _that_ scary? I mean, the Yuki I have seen with Kagome is very loving. All the same," she went on blithely and picked at her teeth with a fingernail, "I wish he wasn't such a stuffy old man. He's very over-protective of her and it makes her unhappy. Do you know he sent her here to this school eleven years ago? Poor girl has been stuck on this island for ages. It's almost like he's kept her imprisoned here."

"Hm. Poor girl, indeed. Well, listen, I have to go. Shall I find out what you want to know? I suppose I can poke around and see what turns up. You have studying to do, I'm sure."

She groaned, remembering the unfinished chapter review questions for History class that she needed to do. "Yeah, sure. Thanks Dad. Talk to you later."

"Goodbye, Sango."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The month of May went by quickly and before they knew it, another school year was over. At the beginning of the month, Sango was worried about being separated from Kagome. The teacher who was to hold dancing classes over summer had to go home to help her mother take care of her father who had just had a heart attack. As a result, the dance classes were canceled. Kagome had been very disappointed, for she had been looking forward to learning something new. But Sango felt that Kagome was mostly dismayed because this meant that the dance costumes she had asked Yuki-sama to order had come in already and now would not be used.

As for Sango, she still knew nothing more of Kagome's background but she tried her best not to think to hard about it. After all, did she not have other, more important things to think about? As soon as she arrived at her family home, her father would be insistent upon testing her skills to see if they were still sound. If she were honest with herself, Sango would admit that she had allowed herself to grow soft for the first two years she had been at school. After being sent away across the Pacific to a land where the language and customs were drastically different, she had wanted revenge against her father. In the end, she knew that was foolish and she had resumed her training. It was so ingrained in her that she just could not fight it anymore and pushed herself even harder than before.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Sango was standing in the doorway to the bedroom she shared with Kagome. She held the handle of her rolling suitcase in her right hand and a large duffel bag in her left. Her laptop was in her backpack, which she wore.

With a smile, Kagome nodded as she folded a set of pink and white sleep pants. "Yes, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Yuki-sama said he would get me later today." She shook her head as she placed the sleep pants carefully into her suitcase, which was practically new. They had only been used once before, when she moved from Yuki-sama's house to Hawaii. "I'm so excited, Sango! He's actually coming to take me away for summer vacation!"

Seeing her friend so excited, Sango smiled also. "That's so wonderful, baby girl! I'm very happy for you." _'It's about fucking time,'_ she added silently.

After she finished pressing down her clothing into the suitcase to make room for more, Kagome went over to Sango and hugged her. Sango released the luggage handle and embraced Kagome back with her right arm.

"I'll miss you," Kagome whispered.

"And I'll miss you," Sango replied, her voice equally hushed.

"Take care."

Sango grinned. "You bet. You too," she said and touched Kagome's cheek before turning and walking away down the hall.

Kagome watched her friend go down the hall and round the corner. A moment later the ding of the elevator sounded in the still air of the empty floor.

Sango was gone.

Kagome's smile vanished. She missed Sango already but there was the vacation that Yuki-sama was going to take her on. Wasn't that call for celebration?

With a sigh, Kagome turned to resume her packing. When she was done, she looked at the clock on the wall. It was a round purple clock with sparkly purple rhinestones that framed the clock face. Sango had gotten it from the mall during last year's summer break.

It was nearly three in the afternoon. Kagome nodded. Yuki-sama was due between five and six that afternoon, he had said. Well, he hadn't actually told her to her face; it had been a letter delivered to her only yesterday just before lunchtime. His normally beautiful handwriting had been sloppily written, so she guessed he must have been in a hurry when he wrote it. Two weeks ago he was supposed to have come to have dinner with her, but he had to cancel at the last minute. It was just before lunchtime when he called. He had begged her forgiveness but that he was incredibly busy at the moment. When he was free again, he would come to see her.

Since there was nothing else to do, Kagome zipped up her suitcase and set it on the floor at the foot of her bed. Then she lay down for a nap. Before she drifted off, she wondered if she should set her alarm clock. But, she thought drowsily, he would come find her and wake her up then.

In the meantime, she would be waiting right here for him…

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was the heavy silence that finally woke Kagome from her slumber. She sat up slowly, her bleary eyes going to the digital alarm clock on her bedside table. The red numbers were clearly visible in the growing darkness of her bedroom.

It was just a few minutes past seven o'clock. Kagome was concerned. Where was Yuki-sama?

With a yawn, she got to her feet and reached for the ceiling in a spine-cracking stretch.

From where she was, she could see the lights of the hotels on the beach turning brighter the darker it got. She unlatched the window and pushed them outwards while taking a deep breath. The night air was soft and fragrant and it felt warm and lovely on her skin. As she rested her forearms on the windowsill and gazed absently out onto the little piece of Hawaii spread out before, her eyes fell upon a pale figure clothed in black standing on the ground a little ways out below her window. For a startled moment she saw that it was Yuki-sama looking up at her and pleasure filled her unhesitatingly. Through the pleasure she felt a small twinge of concern. She knew that he was adept at wordlessly charming people. After all, had she not seen him do it many times? Her teachers, the headmistress, even Simone and Leslie, the only two openly lesbian girls at the school had all been enchanted by him. All looked on him with a longing that was both painful and rapturous. All he had to do was glance their way…

She had felt it before, the pull of his influence. That day in the teachers' garden when he had caught her there with Jacob was perhaps the strongest she had ever felt it. His piercing green eyes pinned her down, held her in thrall and all the while she felt something she could only describe as an invisible rope pull her consciousness to him with all the passion of a man pulling his beloved into his arms with the gentlest of embraces. He had cast a spell on her, she was sure.

No one could escape that, not even she.

Kagome's attention returned to the figure below and her mind went immediately to how tall and slender he was, with his long fair hair that flowed down his back. Long strands of that pale hair were picked up and swirled about in that same breeze she had just been enjoying.

Wait. Long hair? Kagome frowned. That was odd. Yuki-sama did not have long hair.

Almost as if she had been burnt, she jerked her body away from the window, her heart pounding. She waited a moment and leaned forward to look down again. The figure was gone. A wave of relief washed over her but her eyes scanned the area below.

Her frown deepened. Had she imagined it? Had she imagined seeing that shadowy figure down there?

This time she moved away from the window and turned her head to glance at the clock again. It was only seven thirty. Damn, where was Yuki-sama?

She reached out to close the window, reconsidered it when a wonderful breeze blew into the room, left the window open and returned to her bed where she sat down. Her eyes went to the digital clock with its red-lighted numbers. She wondered how long she would have to wait.

ooo

That thought was the first one to enter her mind when she woke the next morning and there was still no sign of her elf guardian.

For the millionth time Kagome wished Yuki-sama would have let her have a cell phone. All the other girls had them, it seemed. Every time she was at lunch or between classes or while the girls were spending leisure time in the courtyard, she saw many of them on their phones, talking away to their families or friends, or even their boyfriends from Okalani Academy. Since the school relaxed its policy on cell phones— which had previously only been reserved for the senior class but since the underclassmen had found ways to get cell phones— the passing of notes had gone the way of the dinosaur.

With a sad little sigh, Kagome lay down on her back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Even if she _had_ a cell phone, whom would she call? The only people on this island she knew were the people she went to school with and—from the lack of noise in the hallway outside her bedroom—they had long since departed for their summer holidays. There was no phone in this, the dormitory building, but there were several in the school offices.

She sighed again. Since there were no students going to be staying behind this summer, the headmistress had told them at assembly last week, none of the teachers would be there either. The school would be completely deserted. "As a result," the headmistress went on, "the office will be closed and locked, as well as the kitchens."

This time Kagome emitted a groan. If Yuki-sama did not show up, she would be locked away from the phones as well as any food. That would be a very bad thing, for she did not have access to her allowance, which was locked up in the headmistress' office.

The silence of her room was broken by the sound of her stomach, which growled noisily. Lunch had been many hours ago and it seemed that her next meal would not be anytime soon.

That was when the first pangs of panic began. Here she was, for all intents and purposes, alone in a city she did not really know – despite having lived there for over half of her life—with no access to food or money and not even a phone with which to call for help.

It took all she had to keep from going into full-on panic mode. After several deep breaths, Kagome stiffened her spine. "Do not be so silly," she told herself reproachfully. Yuki-sama _will_ come. Besides," she continued on to herself, "I can always go to the police. Surely they would help me. I just need to find a payphone. Or better yet, flag down a police car. That would save me the trouble of having to use a payphone."

The moment the last word left her lips, Kagome broke down into tears. Who was she kidding? She was stuck here with no way off this bloody island and with hardly any means to survive. Her stomach growled again and she burst into a fresh outpouring of tears. How could he leave her here like this? Had he forgotten all about her?

With a sigh, Kagome got up from her bed and went through her normal morning routine. There was nothing else for it. When she was ready, she picked up her purse. As she thought, there was no money in her wallet. All her allowance money was locked up in the headmistress' office per her guardian's request. _'Damn Yuki,'_ she thought bitterly. _'He has taken so much from me and denied me so much and yet I still respect him? What kind of relationship is that?'_

Her smile faltered as her stomach again betrayed her hunger. What would she do for food? As it was she was not a very strong person; at least, she was nowhere _near_ as healthy or strong as Sango, who had a very good appetite and always seemed to be snacking—

Kagome's spine straightened suddenly as she recalled watching her friend studying for her history final only a few days ago. Sango was on her bed, her hand reaching into a clear plastic bag at her side. Of course! Sango was _always_ snacking!

Putting her things down on her bed, Kagome went over to Sango's closet and opened it. Her eyes closed. Thank heaven for Sango! There, on the top shelf, were unopened bags of trail mix and dried fruit. She grabbed both bags and carried them off to her bed, where she opened them and ate some of the contents. The bag of dried fruit consisted of banana chips, pineapple and what looked to be apricot—all of which were not too bad considering that Kagome did not much care for dried fruit. By comparison, the trail mix was magnificent and Kagome sighed with bliss as she crunched away on a handful of sliced almonds and sunflower seeds. The raisins she could have done without, but as it was included in the handful she had shoved in her mouth, she did not care. It was food. That was all that mattered.

After her meal, Kagome closed the bags and returned them to Sango's closet. Alright, she thought as she closed the closet door, it was time to go have a look around. Despite her circumstances, it was rather exciting to be able to get off of school property and go exploring on her own.

The ride down to the bottom floor was rather eerie, knowing that no one other than herself occupied the building. The elevator set down gently, the door swished open and Kagome found herself in the lobby. The glass double doors that led outside were just ahead of her and Kagome had a vague feeling of uneasiness. She stepped up to the doors and pushed them open but did not step through the doorway.

It was a good thing she heeded her feeling of caution, for when the doors closed she could hear the sound of a lock catching and she knew for certain that during the school year, these doors were _never_ locked.

At that sound, Kagome took a step back. That would have been bad, she thought with a wave of relief. To have to worry about money and food for three months would be awful enough; but to be homeless as well would have added to her predicament. She would need to be careful with the doors from now on.

Eyeing the double doors, Kagome reached up and managed to flip down the lock on the door on her left. She pushed on it, to ensure that it did not budge. Then, from her purse, Kagome pulled out a small notebook. She pulled three sheets of paper from it and after she folded them a few times, she put the folded paper in such a way so that the lock could not catch. She even pulled on the door a few times to see if it would lock. It did not.

With a sigh, Kagome went outside and slipped the paper over the lock. As before, it did not catch and the door opened easily when she tugged on the door handle. Stepping back, Kagome admired her handiwork. Now, for the real task—how to get off of school property.

Turning away from the double doors, Kagome began to think of ways to get out that would allow her to also return the same way. The main door to the school was actually a heavy metal gate and she doubted that any amount of paper she had on her would keep it from shutting. Besides, it could only be opened by a code and failing that, a special key that only the headmistress had in her possession. So that way was ruled out. Bummer.

As though she could not help herself, Kagome made her way to kitchen and to the office. Both were locked, as she knew they would be but she felt that she had to make sure. She would have hated finding out later that she went without food for the entire summer vacation and that the kitchen doors had been unlocked the whole time.

With a sigh, Kagome moved away from the school office and towards the courtyard. It was large and open and depressingly empty. On the other side of the courtyard was teachers' garden.

Her eyes widened. Of course! The teachers' garden had that grey stone wall that Draco had helped her over. Jacob had been able to make his escape over it. Maybe she could climb it too…

She ran across the courtyard to the garden and after she entered it, she headed for the wall. As she stood before it, her heart sank. It was too tall for her to climb on her own.

"_Ass!"_ she hissed crossly at the blasted wall. "Do you have to be so tall, you… you stupid wall?!" With a sharp little kick at the grey stone, Kagome turned away and glanced around the garden. Surely there was some way out of this damned school!

In the corner of the garden, Kagome spied something that made her heart sing with relief. As she made her way towards it, Kagome gave a shout of triumph. Some lovely human being had left a ladder behind!

The gods must be on her side, she thought as she reached the ladder, which was lying on its side on the soft, dark earth. It was not too heavy she noted as she hefted it up and carried it carefully to the section of wall she had gone over before.

She climbed the wall and upon reaching the top, she sat astride the wall as she had that night with Draco. With some difficulty, she pulled the ladder over and set it down on the other side so that she could climb down.

Upon reaching the other side of the wall, Kagome felt exhilarated. At last, she was free.

Fifteen minutes later, Kagome found herself strolling down a busy street and whistling a happy tune. She had not felt this happy in a long time.

As she neared Waikiki Beach, she came to souvenir shop. Two young men were standing in front of it, both of them peering into the window that displayed an assortment of swimsuits and sandals. Another glance at the boys, Kagome realized that she knew them. At least, she knew one of them personally; his name was William Taylor and he had played football with Draco. The other boy was only vaguely familiar to her but she knew that both boys were pupils of Okalani Academy. She meant to walk past without saying a word to either when William turned at that moment and saw her.

"Hey, Kagome," William hailed her in a hearty manner. "How's it going?" He smiled warmly at her.

She knew it would be rude to ignore him so she stopped to greet him. "Hi William, I'm doing fine, thanks. How are you?" Kagome's gaze rested on the other boy whose name for the moment escaped her. Thankfully, he did not turn around. Instead, he went inside the shop which left her and William alone on the sidewalk.

"Can't complain," William said with a grin. "My parents are coming to get me this afternoon. Matt—" he jerked his head to the door through which his companion had just entered— "is leaving tonight at some point, so we thought we'd just hang out for awhile. What are you doing here? I thought everyone from Pualani was gone for the summer."

Kagome shrugged. She did not want to say that she had been left behind. That would be embarrassing. Instead she said: "I'm just waiting for my guardian to come get me. He'll be here later."

"Oh." William studied her for a moment. When her glance slid away from his, he shrugged. "Okay, that's cool. Well, I hope you enjoy your summer." He turned to look in the shop to see if his friend was coming. Through the glass door, he could see Matt at the cash register paying for his purchase. "Oh hey, sorry to hear about Darren leaving. I guess you'll be missing him too, huh?"

Startled, Kagome jerked her head around so she could stare up at William. "What? What are you talking about?"

For a second, William looked confused. "Darren…" He chuckled. "You know. Tall guy, white hair? Anyway, I congratulated him on graduating. He's so lucky that he's out of here now."

Kagome was stunned. Out of here? Graduating? Draco had not told her anything like that! Aloud she said: "Y-yeah. He's a lucky one, alright. I can't wait until next year when Sango and I graduate." It was all she could do to keep the confusion out of her face.

"I hear ya!" laughed William. His buddy had just exited the store with a plastic bag in his hand. "Listen, Kagome, have a great summer! See you next year!" He gave her a salute before he and his friend continued down the street in the direction Kagome had come.

For a long time, Kagome could only watch as the two boys strolled casually away down the street. Her mind was reeling from the news. Draco had graduated from school? But how could that be? He was not a senior classmen. Apparently she had been wrong, either that… or he had lied to her.

A heavy feeling of unease settled in Kagome's belly. But why would Draco do such a thing? Why would he feel the need to lie—not only to her but to Sango as well? What was the point? Had he done it just to be mean?

Feeling suddenly sad, Kagome realized sickly that she was far too trusting of people. Being sheltered as she was, she had little knowledge of the ways of the world. The only life she knew was encased in the walls of a school and the only people she came in contact with were her fellow students, teachers and occasionally Yuki-sama. Then Draco comes along and he adds color to her dreary little world. He passed himself off as someone she could rely on, to put her trust in while pretending to put himself in the role of protector.

She snorted derisively and turned to walk on the direction she had been heading in. Protector? Against what? Or whom? Oh, right. He was "protecting" her from Jacob, _or so he said._

As she strolled leisurely along sidewalk of the tourist-packed thoroughfare, she recalled what Sango had said Draco's youkai. Though Draco himself may not see her in a romantic light, his youkai seemed to have staked a claim on her, from what she and Sango realized during the incident during History class a couple of months ago.

A giggle roused Kagome from her thoughts and she started, nearly tripping over her own feet. Coming out of one of the many tourist shops that lined the street, a couple in their twenties exited, hand-in-hand, with big smiles on their faces. The woman was about Kagome's height, with dark hair and sunglasses. The man was very tall and very handsome. His hair was a pale blond.

"_Almost like Draco,"_ she thought with a heavy heart as she watched them walk past her; they were oblivious to anyone around them. To her, they looked very happy and very much in love.

Suddenly, and even though she was surrounded by people, Kagome felt more alone than she had ever felt in her life. The beauty of the day had vanished in an instant and all at once she wished to go back home. With a heavy urge to cry, Kagome began to walk back the way she came.

'_Home,'_ she thought dully as she walked swiftly down the street. Home is where you go to be with your family, to surround yourself with the warmth and affection of the people who love you best.

But she _had_ no home, no family; no one to go to in times of trouble. She had Sango, yes, but Sango had her own family, her own home; all those things that Kagome had always wished for. Had she a family, she would not have been left behind like an unwanted pet, to fend for herself.

By now she had broken into a run and made it to the school grounds just as she burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"It's awfully quiet in here."

Hiro, who was looking over some maps of the Realm, glanced up to see the youkai lord standing in front of his desk. Sesshoumaru lifted a pale eyebrow which signified that the Taiyoukai expected an answer.

"Yes, it is that," Hiro replied with a smile. "Forgive me, Lord Sesshoumaru, I did not hear you come in." He got to his feet and offered the youkai a sweeping bow.

Sesshoumaru nodded in return and presented the emperor a bow as well. "How is Yuki? Well, I hope." An undignified snort behind him announced the presence of Inuyasha at his side. Sesshoumaru shot the hanyou a glare before returning his attention to the elf who had returned to his seat. He sat down in one of the chairs in front of Hiro's desk. An imperious hand waved for Inuyasha to do the same. The hanyou did so with some reluctance.

Setting his reports aside, Hiro nodded. "Oh yes, Yuki is doing fine, although I do have a suspicion that he may be getting a tad homesick." He shook his head. "I can understand that. On the day he had to leave, he was supposed to visit his ward but I had to send him on his mission."

_That_ had not been a pretty scene, as Hiro recalled. He had been extremely irate. Yuki was set to leave to take Kagome to dinner when the call for help arrived from the far section of the realm where the dark energy resided. Hiro had already sent a few elves who were supposed to scout out the area and report back, but that had not been the case. The elves had not been able to send reports of any kind; they had to send one of their numbers back to call for assistance. When the elf had returned, he promptly collapsed and was still in the care of the best elven doctors. The energy of that place he had returned from had drained nearly all his strength and sent him nearly out of his mind. The evil that resided there was of a kind he had never encountered before. This news sent a ripple of fear through Hiro. If such darkness existed in the Realm, that would not bode well for all who inhabit it.

But Yuki, who finally managed to stop cursing at Hiro, agreed to go. "_If this thing escaped the Realm, it might harm my Kagome,"_ he said gravely. _"If that happened, you will have one psychotic elf on your hands, brother. No one could stop me. Not even you. Believe that."_ Not surprisingly, Hiro could not help _but_ believe him. The look in his brother's glittering green eyes was enough to check any retort he might have made. All he could do was watch silently as Yuki stormed out of his office.

"Has he found anything? _Is_ Naraku back?" Inuyasha asked Hiro abruptly. The hanyou cracked his knuckles. "I'm tired of just sitting here, doing nothing. If it _is_ Naraku, we _need_ to be out there taking care of his ass."

Sesshoumaru actually turned to stare with some awe at his brother. He had not seen this part of Inuyasha in, what? Decades? Not since Kagome's death, at any rate. This was the Inuyasha he knew best; the Inuyasha whom he _liked_ best. He did not care for the gloomy, depressed Inuyasha he'd seen since the death of Kagome. Sesshoumaru wanted to see a spark of life in his younger brother again.

When he recovered from his shock, Sesshoumaru asked: "What makes you think that Yuki will be of any use over there? If what this elf says is true, what difference would his presence make? He's an elf too. Would he not be affected the same way as the others?"

Hiro smiled. "As unlikable as my big brother can be, he is a very powerful elf. Since I am unable to travel to such a dangerous place without an Empress or an heir, he is the only one I trust to carry out this mission."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Inuyasha clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "You shoulda sent one of us instead," he muttered. "You guys seem to be really susceptible to bad energy. A youkai would have been a better choice."

Hiro stared hard at the hanyou. "Whether you approve or not, Inuyasha, this world is my responsibility and I did what I saw fit. I sent my people to see what was going on over there before I sent anyone else. As I have said before, we don't know what kind of effect this will have on the youkai here. As you are well aware, we elves are physically weaker than youkai. On the whole, I would rather risk only a few elven lives with no youkai involved than involve one youkai who would end up wreaking havoc on an entire elven population." He tilted his head and regarded Inuyasha coolly. "I'm sure you would agree with my decision. I did what I thought was best."

"Put like that, yeah, I can see where you're coming from," Inuyasha replied, his earlier enthusiasm considerably dampened. "Sorry."

"It is fine," Hiro replied. "I can also see where you are coming from and I appreciate your willingness to help, but for now, we will take care of things."

"We being the elves," Sesshoumaru said quietly.

The emperor nodded. "Precisely."

Sesshoumaru nodded but Inuyasha looked skeptical. "But you will let us know if you need help, right? I mean, as you said yourself, elves are not as physically strong as us." Again, he cracked his knuckles. "I don't mind admitting this, but if I'm right and Naraku turns out to be the cause of all this, I am itching for a fight."

A commotion erupted outside of Hiro's office and a hoarse cry of: "Get out of my way!" could be heard. All three men jumped to their feet as the door swung open. Yuki staggered into the room. He had two elven guards at his elbows that were doing their best to keep him upright.

Hiro was at his brother's side in an instant and caught him as he fell. "Yuki," he breathed, horrified at the condition his brother was in. "Dear gods, what's happened?" He waved the guards away and they retreated in haste.

Yuki, whose angelic countenance was covered in filth and sweat, looked up at his younger brother's face with feverish green eyes that rolled wildly in their sockets. "It… it's worse than we thought… Hiro…"

"Where are the others? Yuki? What has happened to the others?"

Yuki shook his head back and forth restlessly in the crook of Hiro's arm. "Dead… all dead. We can't…" He swallowed hard. "We can't stop this."

Before Hiro could speak, Inuyasha blurted out irritably, "Stop? Stop what? Speak, you goddamn elf prick!" Sesshoumaru grabbed his brother's arm and yanked him back, much to Inuyasha's chagrin.

The crown prince sobbed. "Army," he choked out. "Youkai… army." With those words, Yuki's eyelids slid shut and his body relaxed in his brother's arms as he finally lost consciousness.

"A youkai army?" Hiro could not believe what he just heard. With a glance down at his brother, Hiro wished that Yuki would come to and tell them more. Instead, he glanced up at the two youkai with him. "Is this Naraku's doing, do you think?"

"Possibly," replied Sesshoumaru evenly. Inwardly, however, he knew that it _was_ Naraku behind this. Before, he did not fear the evil hanyou but now—

Beside him, Inuyasha exploded. "Bullshit!" he cried. "This is Naraku and you fucking know it!"

Annoyed, Sesshoumaru turned to his brother and glared down at him. "No, Inuyasha, I don't know! We have no proof that it _is_ him and until then, I would ask that you chill the fuck out!"

Wide-eyed, Inuyasha stared up into his brother's reddened face. Sesshoumaru did not swear often but when he did, it was time to take a step or two back. That was just what Inuyasha did now. When he did so, he noticed that Sesshoumaru's fists were clenched. Nervously, Inuyasha swallowed. He did not want to feel those hands on him with their poisoned claws digging into his flesh.

"Forgive me, Sesshoumaru," he murmured abashedly. He hated the feeling of being chastised; he'd felt it often enough when he traveled with Kagome and the others in the Sengoku Jidai, but more often than not he had thoroughly deserved a dressing down. "But… an army? I only know of one creature that was able to gather youkai in great numbers and bend them to his will and _that_ is Naraku."

The tension eased out of Sesshoumaru's body and his shoulders sagged a little. "I know this, Inuyasha," he said much more calmly than he had before.

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow. Now that Sesshoumaru's body language no longer read I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass, Inuyasha said: "Don't tell me you are unsure of yourself, Sess. That's just not like you."

"I'm not unsure of myself, _baka_," retorted the Taiyoukai. He glanced down at Hiro who still held his brother's unconscious body.

"You're nervous," Hiro added softly.

"Yes," admitted Sesshoumaru, much to his brother's surprise. "I am nervous and a little… afraid."

Now Inuyasha really was floored. To hear his big brother, the pure-blooded and extremely powerful inu youkai, admit to being afraid was an earth-shaking revelation. "What? You? Afraid? I don't believe you," Inuyasha said sharply. He did not like hearing his brother say such things. "You are the strongest youkai I know, Sess. I have never seen a weakness in you before when we fought against him."

Sesshoumaru's yellow gaze, one that was so like Inuyasha's own, rested on his half-brother's recalcitrant face. "I did not have a family before," he replied, his voice just above a whisper.

"Then take them away from here," Inuyasha said. "Go to the mortal world and leave this to me."

Hiro opened his mouth to object, but Sesshoumaru put his hand up to stop him. "Do not be foolish, Inuyasha. You cannot do this on your own."

The hanyou bristled with indignation. "Well, thanks a lot, your holiness!" he snapped, his voice oozing sarcasm. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate your confidence in me."

"Did I say I do not have confidence in you?" Sesshoumaru countered, his pale brows drawing together in a frown.

"Oh, you implied as much!" Inuyasha closed the distance between them in a split second. "You've never thought much of me, have you?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing. Instead he turned, bowed to Hiro and exited the room, leaving the emperor still on the ground with his brother and Inuyasha fuming.

"Bastard," hissed the furious hanyou. He made as though to follow Sesshoumaru but Hiro stopped him.

"You misunderstand him, Inuyasha," Hiro said. He had taken off his outer robe, folded it and placed it beneath Yuki's golden head. After he had done so, he rose gracefully to his feet.

"Somehow, I sincerely doubt that," Inuyasha barked, his back ramrod straight with anger.

The elf chuckled softly. "Perhaps you shouldn't. Doubt him, that is. Lord Sesshoumaru is capable of feelings and emotions, you know. Haven't the two of you grown closer over the years?"

"Well… yes, I guess we have." Inuyasha's body relaxed a little and he turned to give his the emperor his full attention. "What's your point?"

"How was your relationship before Kagome came back into your life? You know, when you used that shard of the Shikon no Tama to draw her back to you? How did you and Sesshoumaru react to each other then?"

Inuyasha frowned. "We tolerated each other okay," he replied grudgingly. "We weren't the best of friends but we stuck together against Naraku. Back then we had to."

"When did he change?"

Inuyasha thought for a long moment before replying slowly: "He began to grow—softer, I guess you could say—when took Miranda for his mate, although he kept his distance. But it wasn't until after Dante and Juno were born that he—" He stopped, realization dawning in his eyes.

With a small smile, Hiro nodded. "He never had a family before, Inu, and that included one wild and willful younger brother."

"Half brother," muttered Inuyasha, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Placing his hands on the hanyou's drooping shoulders, Hiro gave Inuyasha a tiny shake. "But a brother nonetheless. Sesshoumaru loves you, Inuyasha. You of all people should know how hard it can be to admit something like that to another person."

Resisting the urge to shove Hiro away from him, Inuyasha glared up at the emperor. "But that does not change the fact that he doesn't think I can take on Naraku. That's a little hurtful, you know?

Smiling broadly, Hiro shook his head. "Again, you misunderstand him, Inuyasha!"

This time, Inuyasha gave into his urge and brushed Hiro's hands away from his shoulders none too gently. "What's to misunderstand? It was as clear as crystal to me! He said I couldn't do this on my own."

"You are so stubborn!" Hiro folded his arms over his chest and shook his head slowly. "Sometimes you need to read between the lines, Inu. He did not want you to face Naraku—_if it is Naraku_—alone. You are his brother and he will stand by your side in this matter."

"Keh."

Hiro sighed with resignation. "Fine, don't believe me. Go ask him. He'll tell you."

"Why would he?" Inuyasha turned to go.

"Because you are a part of his family, Inuyasha, and he loves his family."

The emperor would have said more but the hanyou was already gone. He looked down at brother, who was so pale and haggard. Gone was the golden glow; the youthful freshness of his beautiful, cursed face was diminished and Hiro realized that he could stare to his heart's content at Yuki. But that realization was accompanied by a terrible dread. To possess a cursed face was painful to everyone who looked upon it. Not many could stare endlessly at one who had been afflicted thusly.

However, Yuki had somehow come in contact with _something_ that negated his curse. That meant that this _something_ was so strong that it could suck the energy, beauty and sanity from an otherwise healthy, powerful elf.

His heart clenched. If Yuki was reduced to this terrible state, then it stood to reason that the elves in general were of no use against this… whatever it was. Now he would have to ask the youkai to assist in this matter. But if this 'youkai army', as Yuki put it, was enough to drain his life essence and diminish the power of his curse, how would the youkai under Sesshoumaru's command react? Would they too, behave as Yuki and the other young elf had done? Would they also go crazy?

That thought made Hiro very afraid.

oooooooooooo

oooooooooooooo


End file.
